#birds

Over millennia of following us into new habitats, crows also learned that we are a fickle species. Humans provide food, but sometimes we harass or kill them. Our settlements can be alternately deadly or sheltering. To “avoid danger and take advantage of riches,” Marzluff says, “they can’t not be interested in people.” So they’ve evolved to watch closely what humans do. And their keen attention may be key to a friendship that’s singular.

This study compared nine parrot species and European starlings on their ability to imitate monophonic and multiphonic sounds created for the Star Wars character R2-D2. These complex synthesizer sounds allow for a strong comparative analysis with the same spectral complexity imitated by multiple species. Our results show that starlings have a higher accuracy when imitating multiphonic sounds than parrots

"Were the singers human, researchers might also explain the duets in terms of affection. Since they’re birds, the researchers describe the songs in terms of maintaining pair bonds, predator avoidance and conferred reproductive advantages. Vignal plans further studies of the duets, but thinks there’s more than reproductive imperatives in the tiny birds’ hearts and brains."

"So when a pesky squirrel tries to pilfer some seed, he'll suddenly find himself on spinning deathtrap, one that's guaranteed to give him the old heave-ho much to the entertainment of everyone but the squirrel involved."

"I have read that hummingbirds had no natural enemies–so much for that theory!"

"They've shown for the first time how a particular brain region in birds serves as the source of vocal creativity."