Here is link to a short video, narrated by David Attenborough, showing the amazing mimicry ability of the lyrebird. This video is one of my all-time favorites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y
Lyrebirds, are medium-sized, ground-nesting birds found in Australia. These birds are well know for (1) their ability to mimic the sounds of other birds (and other sounds in their environment) and the elaborate mating display of the male (shown above). When I was about 12 or 13 years old I was living in Melbourne, Australia. One Saturday my Dad and I drove to a forest area where lyrebirds live hoping to see one. After hiking around for less than an hour we discovered a male and after following him for just a short while we were lucky enough to see the full display. We were joined by an Australian wildlife photographer who said he had been exploring the forest for the last two weeks and this was the first display he saw. I sure got lucky that day! (by now it should be clear that my biology-nerdom started at a young age)
No comments:
Post a Comment