Ian
As someone who has both tried professional (non wildlife) video work with a
local company in the 80s and is also keen on birds, I guess I see both sides
of this one, though I am sympathetic to your take on it.
Making videos, even with cooperative humans takes s-o-o-o-o long (hours
spent per minute finished product) that I can see why you might cut a
corner. But you need to be a bit squeaky clean if you are going do that and
the implication that a captive bird making sounds not heard in wild birds is
indeed a bit suss.
Stephen
Stephen Mugford
-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Fraser
Sent: Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:41 AM
Cc:
Subject: Superb Lyre Bird calls
Thanks for that Julian; it was certainly an amazing performance as I
recall it. Unfortunately it was also one of the few occasions when my
admiration for Sir D and his organisation dipped a bit. They had asked
for help before coming here to film that segment (and others in the
'Life of Birds' series) and a ranger at Kinglake NP had spent many hours
habituating a star wild lyrebird mimic to make the film crew's life
easier. However when they arrived they decided that a captive bird at
Healesville Sanctuary was easier still, with the bonus of 'sexy'
mechanical calls, particularly the famous shutter drive. Fair enough,
but in the voice-over, while not actually lying, they did nothing to
suggest that it wasn't a wild bird. I am still unaware of any FIRST-HAND
accounts of wild lyrebirds mimicking mechanical sounds, though there are
plenty of higher order accounts. This segment only muddied those
particular waters further.
And if this doesn't open some sort of floodgate I'll be very surprised
indeed....
cheers all
Ian
---
Ian Fraser,
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Wordsmithing
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560 fax: 61 2 6247 3227
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