pipit mimicry

["Steve Holliday" <>]

Thanks Geoffrey

 

Most interesting, not sure this particular pipit would have ranked very highly on any international excitement scale though, it was sitting in a dead tree making its usual pipit call (the trill described in Pizzey as 'tzweeer') and following it immediately with the quail call. This was going on for at least 5 minutes, with the bird calling at intervals of 20-30 seconds or more. 

 

I have managed to locate an Australian reference to pipit mimicry in Emu Vol 65 pp 62, in 'Further remarks on vocal mimicry', one of Chisholm's articles, a list of 42 species he regards as minor mimics includes pipit, with no elaboration. Will have to delve further back into the mists of time to find the source, a couple of papers by Chisholm in Ibis published in the 1930s appear promising, looks like a visit to Sustainable Ecosystems library.

 

cheers

 

Steve