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It has been claimed that the common hill mynah is the best talking bird and the best mimic in the world. [35] The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is an exceptional mimic, including human speech. [36] Its ability at mimicry is so great that strangers have looked in vain for the human they think they have just heard speak. [37]
A Batesian mimic, such as a hoverfly, is harmless, while its model, such as a wasp, is harmful, and is avoided by the dupe, such as an insect-eating bird. Birds hunt by sight, so the mimicry in that case is visual, but in other cases mimicry may make use of any of the senses.
The song of the lyrebird is a mixture of elements of its own song and mimicry of other species. Lyrebirds render with great fidelity the individual songs of other birds [14] [15] [16] and the chatter of flocks of birds, [17] [18] and also mimic other animals such as possums, [17] koalas and dingoes. [7]
These are well known in birds, as first described by Aristotle in the 4th century BC, [21] but also occur in fish. [22] A familiar example is the broken-wing display seen in nesting waders, plovers and doves such as the mourning dove. In this display, a bird walks away from its nest with one wing dragging on the ground.
Superb lyrebird sings in a suburban Sydney backyard, mimicking several Australian native bird calls. (3:30) The superb lyrebird is renowned for its elaborate vocal mimicry, [25] with an estimated 70–80% of the male's vocalisations consisting of imitations of other species, mostly other birds [26] but occasionally marsupials. [27]
The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own, usually using egg mimicry, with eggs that resemble the host's. The strategy involves a form of aggressive mimicry called Kirbyan mimicry.
The mimids are the New World family of passerine birds, Mimidae, that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds.As their name (Latin for "mimic") suggests, these birds are notable for their vocalization, especially some species' remarkable ability to mimic a wide variety of birds and other sounds heard outdoors.
They flycatch or take prey from the ground. Some drongos, especially the greater racket-tailed drongo, are noted for their ability to mimic other birds and even mammals. Two to four eggs are laid in a nest high in a tree. Despite their small size, they are aggressive and fearless, and will attack much larger species if their nests or young are ...