Alarm calling is a widespread antipredator behaviour. Although the function and evolution of alarm call behaviour have long been studied in detail, only in the last decade has there been an upsurge in research into its development. Here, we review the literature on the development of alarm call production (the delivery of calls with a specific set of acoustic features), alarm call usage (the use of calls in particular contexts) and alarm call responses (the responses to calls produced by others).We detail the mechanistic processes that may underlie the development of each aspect, consider the selection pressures most likely to explain the relative importance of these processes, and discuss the substantial variation in developmental rates found both between and within species. Keywords: Keywords: alarm calling, assessment-management, call production, call responses, call usage, development, information transfer, learning, maturation, vocal communication.