Page 6 - North Haven Magazine Issue 23 Spring 2022

by Sally Brockett
Parrots the only Mimics
are not

Some are in your Backyard!

Is that my phone? Is the baby crying? Could that be a truck backing up my driveway? Have you heard sounds that you
were certain about, but they did not turn out to be what you thought? It could well have been the sound you thought you
recognized, but it was not produced by that source. It may have been a bird that mimics!

e are familiar with the fact that par- song or speak their words. The unique
Wrots, mynah birds, and parakeets can shape of their tongue enables them to pro-
be taught to imitate our words and sounds. duce sounds that other birds cannot. Alex,
But there are thirty-five species of birds an African Grey Parrot, achieved the fol-
that can learn to mimic sounds, calls, and lowing skills, typical of those learned by
songs of other birds and animals. What preschoolers:
they learn depends on their environment
and amount of exposure to the specific • Identify and name fifty different ob-
sounds. jects
• Recognize and distinguish the num-
Just like a toddler, young birds first learn Brown thrasher with its yellow ber of objects up to six
sounds from their parents. They learn the eye, brown back, and striped underparts. • Distinguish and name seven different
calls, songs, and alerts that are natural to colors
their species. Then, depending on their ex- ly repeat each phrase twice before mov- • Recognize and name five different
posure, they begin to learn the sounds they ing to the next one. Some bird songs that shapes
hear frequently. City birds may learn more brown thrashers imitate include Chuck- • Distinguish the terms bigger, smaller,
mechanical sounds, such as car horns, and will’s-widow, wood thrush, and Northern same, and different
construction noises, while country birds flicker. Many ornithologists believe that
learn sounds made by other wildlife, such the brown thrasher’s songs are fuller, rich-
as squirrels and frogs. er, and more melodious than those of the
Northern mockingbird.
Many birds that mimic are in the bird fam-
ily called mimidae, which include mock- The Catbird is another familiar, local
ingbirds, catbirds, and thrashers. They can mimic. Logically, its call sounds like the
have a repertoire of a few hundred to a few mew of a cat. It is common to hear about
thousand sounds. someone searching the woods for a little
kitten only to finally learn that it was a cat-
Photo Credit: BirdPhotos.com bird mewing. These birds are more often
heard than seen because they prefer to stay
secluded in brush. But they may be seen by
careful observers who can identify them
by their slate gray coloring, black cap, and
rusty-red feathers under their long tail.
Their vocalizations may include whistles,
squeaks, nasal tones, whines, and gurgles.

Northern Mockingbird with its
distinctive white wing patch. African Grey parrots
showing affection
The Northern mockingbird is quite com-
mon locally and you may see this bird When Alex was shown his image in a mir-
perched on top of a structure or tree, run- ror, he spontaneously asked “what color?”
ning through its repertoire of sounds. It He was the first non-human animal to
can be fascinating to listen and see what ever ask a question. After 6 repetitions,
sounds you can identify. Is it another bird’s Catbird with its black cap and he learned the name “grey” as a color. To
call or song, or a frog, or is your phone rusty-red under the tail. watch Alex in action, visit:
ringing? When you are awakened before
the sun is up in the spring or summer by While the vocal abilities of these birds are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKv-
continuous vocalizations, coming from quite impressive, it is even more fascinat- VaRlz0Y4
your chimney, or a nearby tree, it is most ing to consider the species of birds that
likely a mockingbird greeting the new day. learn to speak words from people they European Starlings can imitate human
hear frequently. speech with startling clarity. Not only can
The brown thrasher’s repertoire is a close they warble, whistle, chatter, make smooth
second to the mockingbird, with a catalog Parrots are social and have a desire to liquid sounds, harsh trills, rattles, and im-
of 2,000 or more songs. Their songs will communicate with their flock. When liv- itate meadowlarks, jays, and hawks, but
include some imitations and they typical- ing with humans, the family becomes the they can learn to say words and phrases
flock, and the parrot learns to sing their

North Haven Magazine - Spring Issue 2022
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