Western Bowerbird Mimic
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desertbirds
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- Joined: 21 Nov 2010, 09:13
- Location: Alice Springs
Been spending a bit of time in the big walk through at the Park and got loads of footage of the BB`s. I'd heard he could do 2 way radio calls but didnt really believe it till yesterday. http://youtu.be/2xnuPDvbtyk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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jusdeb
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- Location: Dubbo, NSW
- Location: Western Plains NSW
They do a great chainsaw ..
Imagine if you will living on a mountain full of greenies and tree huggers where you actually have to apply to the Bowen Mountain blah blah Society to chop down a tree ...
OK got it , now imagine the chaos when a bower bird or 2 start mimicking chain saws
Imagine if you will living on a mountain full of greenies and tree huggers where you actually have to apply to the Bowen Mountain blah blah Society to chop down a tree ...
OK got it , now imagine the chaos when a bower bird or 2 start mimicking chain saws
Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.
David Brent
David Brent
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desertbirds
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- Location: Alice Springs
I`ve been watching bits of other footage i took and its not until ive watched several times that i could work out what some of the noises are. Dingoes howling softly (their enclosure is half a k away), footsteps on gravel , the squeak of the aviary door, start up of chainsaw , laughing and cracking branches.It would appear its 'any' noise they hear and it doesnt have to be heard very often. The tone , volume and clarity would rival the best of mimics.I get the feeling the intellingenc level is similar to a crow. 
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Diane
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- Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
- Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
It clearly imitates the voices and the click of the radio conversation. Clever birds.
Diane
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
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mattymeischke
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- Joined: 25 Jul 2011, 20:25
- Location: Southern Tablelands of NSW
Great vid, db, love yer work.
Our Australian magpies are pretty sharp, too; they passed the 'red spot' intelligence test (which involves putting a red spot on a part of the animal that they can't see and leaving them alone with a mirror to see if they can recognise the reflection as themselves and remove the dot), which puts them in the elite rank of intelligent animals, with primates, dolphins and the rest of the usual suspects. They can also be pretty good mimics.
I was gardening one day a couple of years ago when I heard a horse in the house yard. I looked around, no horse was to be seen so I returned to weeding. I heard the horse again, then turned around quickly and saw a maggie where the noise was coming from. The magpie looked at me directly and then made a sound which I swear was the sound of my children laughing, before puffing up his chest and letting loose a great peal of carolling, which seemed to me to be saying: I fooled you, I fooled you...
And of course, there's E Orix and his counting red crested hen.
Every time someone studies avian intelligence they seem surprised to learn how clever their subject species is, as though all of the rest have been shown to be stupid.
You're funny, Deb...
I'd have to agree.desertbirds wrote:I get the feeling the intellingence level is similar to a crow.
Our Australian magpies are pretty sharp, too; they passed the 'red spot' intelligence test (which involves putting a red spot on a part of the animal that they can't see and leaving them alone with a mirror to see if they can recognise the reflection as themselves and remove the dot), which puts them in the elite rank of intelligent animals, with primates, dolphins and the rest of the usual suspects. They can also be pretty good mimics.
I was gardening one day a couple of years ago when I heard a horse in the house yard. I looked around, no horse was to be seen so I returned to weeding. I heard the horse again, then turned around quickly and saw a maggie where the noise was coming from. The magpie looked at me directly and then made a sound which I swear was the sound of my children laughing, before puffing up his chest and letting loose a great peal of carolling, which seemed to me to be saying: I fooled you, I fooled you...
And of course, there's E Orix and his counting red crested hen.
Every time someone studies avian intelligence they seem surprised to learn how clever their subject species is, as though all of the rest have been shown to be stupid.
jusdeb wrote:imagine the chaos when a bower bird or 2 start mimicking chain saws
You're funny, Deb...
Avid amateur aviculturalist; I keep mostly australian and foreign finches.
The art is long, the life so short; the critical moment is fleeting and experience can be misleading, crisis is difficult....... (Hippocrates)
The art is long, the life so short; the critical moment is fleeting and experience can be misleading, crisis is difficult....... (Hippocrates)
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Tiaris
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- Location: Coffs Harbour
I have an excellent book, "Minds of their own: Thinking and awareness in animals" (LJ Rogers) which sheds some light on the concept of animals' ideas & thinking. I've always felt the notion that humans are the most intelligent species is an extremely arrogant & stupid assumption. How can we possibly know that other (possibly all) animal species don't think or reason when we cannot even fully understand their communications let alone their thoughts.
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Diane
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- Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
- Location: Northern 'burbs of Adelaide
I agree with that.
Ive noticed different calls from the gouldians, there is a one that changes tone when one bird cant find its partner in the same tones that we would use if calling out "where are you?"
Then they have another that is used for calling the young, similar beginning to the above but slightly different ending.
Ive noticed different calls from the gouldians, there is a one that changes tone when one bird cant find its partner in the same tones that we would use if calling out "where are you?"
Then they have another that is used for calling the young, similar beginning to the above but slightly different ending.
Diane
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
The difference between Genius and Stupidity is, Genius has it’s limits
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Mortisha
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- Joined: 05 Nov 2011, 11:05
- Location: Bathurst, NSW
Totally agree with that, we are only just scratching the surface on how they even use their physical senses to experience the world.I have an excellent book, "Minds of their own: Thinking and awareness in animals" (LJ Rogers) which sheds some light on the concept of animals' ideas & thinking. I've always felt the notion that humans are the most intelligent species is an extremely arrogant & stupid assumption. How can we possibly know that other (possibly all) animal species don't think or reason when we cannot even fully understand their communications let alone their thoughts.
Tim Birkheads latest book Bird Sense is very interesting on the topic.