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Post by madonplants on Jul 16, 2007 13:29:37 GMT 1
Should have put this on earlier, but better late than never.  I was sitting in the living room last week, when I heard 'two' magpies having a right go at each other. I quietly went to the patio doors to see it was a starling and a magpie!! I know all the books will tell you, that starlings are great mimics, but this was weird, seeng/hearing a magpie's chatter coming out of a starling's beak. Anyone else heard this sort of behaviour and what was the starling trying to mimic? Keith |
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Post by sweetleaf on Jul 16, 2007 13:32:41 GMT 1
Perhaps it was trying to communicate, (the avian version) "take me to your feeder"  |
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Post by madonplants on Jul 16, 2007 13:34:19 GMT 1
 Keith
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Post by The witch on Jul 16, 2007 22:14:03 GMT 1
One near to here can mimic my telephone, which can be quite annoying at times!!!
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Post by madonplants on Jul 17, 2007 9:50:05 GMT 1
One near to here can mimic my telephone, which can be quite annoying at times!!! That must be annoying, The witch! Have you ever answered the phone? Keith |
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Post by The witch on Jul 17, 2007 10:31:35 GMT 1
One near to here can mimic my telephone, which can be quite annoying at times!!! That must be annoying, The witch! Have you ever answered the phone? Keith ........... it's certainly had me fooled a couple of times. : |
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Post by emseypop on Jul 17, 2007 11:36:25 GMT 1
Maybe thats what I kept hearing, I was sure the was a budgie on the loose last summer, was squinting away in the garden on a daily basis looking for it but all I could see were starlings Didn't know they could mimic. |
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Post by sweetleaf on Jul 17, 2007 11:45:35 GMT 1
Anyone remember BT`s Trill phones back in the latish seventies? The starlings took that one on board very quickly, my dad got very fed up of going indoors to answer "his" phone! Those phones are apparently collectors items now!  |
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Post by The witch on Jul 17, 2007 12:30:52 GMT 1
And some Starlings are still using trim phones - I'm sure. ;D
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Post by chickadeedeedee on Jul 18, 2007 3:49:56 GMT 1
Hooray for Starlings!  We have a Starling, Kramer, hand raised from a chick.(Loooong story.) Anyway, he is a fantastic mimic and he says stuff that make sense too. (Another looooooong story.) He knows how to "speak" Cockateil, Conure, Orange wing Amazon Parrot, Junco, Sparrow. He would often mimic the Orange winged Amazon Parrot, Clyde. Clyde would make an Amazon call. Kramer would make a similar Amazon call. Then back to Clyde with a rebuttal and so on. They could have these "conversations" for 10-20 minutes. They always ended the same way. Kramer eventually would respond but add something at the end of his reply which would instantly enrage Clyde and he would try to hunt Kramer down! LOL! You ask Kramer "How are you?" His reply is: "I am sweet sweet Kramer. I am sweet AND a joy!" LOL! He is proud of his humility too. C3D |
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Post by 4pygmies on Jul 18, 2007 6:51:53 GMT 1
Hello C3D, nice to see you! They are very clever birds aren't they? I was reading an article somewhere recently that was saying that the experts are worried about all the new noises affecting the birds mating calls - new chicks not learning the right responses to specific birdy calls etc because of the amount of intrusive human noise, like mobile phones, chainsaws, even radios in tractor cabs! What do you think about that?
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Post by chickadeedeedee on Jul 19, 2007 13:33:30 GMT 1
Hi 4P. We have been busy on this end and I have had little time to play here. The starlings are related to mynahs but so many birds are mimics. I think there have been non bird noises long before the chainsaws can into being and the birds can sort things out. At least I hope so!
When the chicks are in the nest, the parents seem to "teach" them the calls. I have seen a variety of birds sitting near a nest or while on the nest and softly going through their various calls. I assume it is a language lesson for the kids.
C3D
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