Birds | December 30, 2021 2:58 AM | hangbony
This Lyrebird is an expert at imitating chainsaws and car alarms.
Peacocks are a thing of the past. This Australian songbird may not have all the dazzling colors, but when it comes to displaying for mates, it goes above and beyond.
In addition to its magnificent plumage that it fans out over its head and body during mating displays, the lyrebird has an amazing ability to recreate virtually any sound it hears.
These are usually other birds’ and animals’ songs and calls, but they can also be man-made sounds like camera shutters, car alarms, and even chainsaws!
The only two species known are the superb lyrebird and the lesser-known Albert’s lyrebird, both of which are native to Australia and can be found in rainforests.
The birds sing all year, but the males sing for hours at a time during mating season in June and August.
They sing out their tunes while shaking their tail feathers and performing elaborate dances to impress the females.
The songs of lyrebirds are a mix of their own sounds, songs learned from older males, and noises made by other animals.
They’ve been heard imitating up to 20 different bird species, and they’re so good at it that the bird they’re imitating is occasionally mistaken for the real thing.
While some birds can imitate human sounds, most wild birds are unlikely to do so.
Those who can mimic toy weapons and other artificial sounds were almost certainly raised in captivity and exposed to human activities.