Most good books about bird biology have reasonable chapters about this subject and there are some books about only bird song. One of the interesting things
is that Superb Lyrebirds for decades after being introduced to Tasmania, mimicked Whipbirds, where the Whipbird does not occur. Evidence that the SL were learning the calls from their parents and other older birds (more than the model species, although the
training would be reinforced by hearing the models) and the culture passed on.
For what it is worth, parrots only do mimicry when trained, not as wild birds. Many parrots are very good at it, best known is the African Grey Parrot and the
group called Amazon parrots. In the better examples, there is reasonable suggestion that there is some understanding of some words.
From: Rodney & Deborah Ralph [
Sent: Monday, 2 August, 2021 3:44 PM
To: 'Rob Geraghty'; 'Philip Veerman'
Cc: 'Robert Parnell'; 'Canberrabirds'
Subject: RE: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
Thanks to you all for your interesting information. Yes, we all know why the Starlings were brought over here as they do have interesting songs and mimics. Of course one of the best birds at mimicry is the Superb Lyrebird and then there
are Parrots they go way above and beyond. Did not realize how many different birds mimicked other birds so has been interesting. So many of the birds have so many different calls of their own and then on top of that they mimic others, wonder what some of the
original calls way back started off like and how they have evolved over time to be so different. Is also interesting how the same species can sound different in other areas and other parts of the world, that would also have to do with what other noises they
have around them.
Thanks all is interesting to hear the comments and keep learning …… more oops just distracted then by a couple of Red Wattlebirds outside the window chasing each other all gone in a split second.
Cheers,
Deb & Rod
From: Rob Geraghty <>
Sent: Monday, 2 August 2021 12:55 PM
To: Philip Veerman <>
Cc: Rodney & Deborah Ralph <>; Robert Parnell <>; Canberrabirds <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
The Tawny-crowned Honeyeater was in the Royal National Park and the Yellow-throated Scrubwren was in Lamington National Park. They were copying completely different calls. I've wanted to go back to the Royal National Park and record Tawny-crowned
Honeyeater calls again, simply because their own call is beautiful but haven't had the chance.
In both cases the mimicking was soft, not like a Lyrebird (I've heard a Lyrebird in Sundown National Park copying a car alarm, and it was painfully loud). With these other birds, I had to stop and listen for a while to be sure what was
going on.
On Mon, 2 Aug 2021, 12:09 Philip Veerman, <> wrote:
Common Starlings are certainly well-known as mimics. Though the prominence given to that knowledge
is largely based around Europe, where presumably bird interested people are less aware of the probably much greater skills or at least the much greater number of species of Australian birds towards vocal mimicry, Olive-backed Oriole is
a very good one. So Common Starlings doing YTBC is possible of course though I am surprised that anyone could not know it for what it is. In particular it seems odd to me that Common Starlings could put out the volume of sound at which someone thinks it is
a YTBC, even if the tune is correct. Why was the sound coming not from YTBC that were unseen at the time? As in I often hear them as they go over my place, sometimes I see them, sometimes not. An important thing to know about vocal mimicry is almost all cases
the sounds chosen are random, inasmuch as they do not relate to the model. Thus in most cases the model species is not present at the time of the mimicry. The Regent Honeyeater is the outstanding exception to this. Also for most species almost always there
will be many species chosen to copy in the one bout of song. Also often the sound is very low volume (lyrebirds and a few others are exceptions). There are also other very different patterns, such as in the Regent Honeyeater and drongos where mimicry has a
deceptive function. My articles of many years ago about this give a lot of background. As to: “Have to wonder how long or often a bird needs to hear another call to be able to mimic it.”
There are many different answers for different species. One basic point though is it is not necessarily a matter of duration, as much as it is about age at the time of exposure.
As for: “The most surprising mimicry I've seen and heard was a Yellow Throated Scrubwren and
a Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.” I would like to know but my educated guess is that the Yellow-throated Scrubwren was the mimic of the Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, rather than the other
way around………. Honeyeaters in general are not regular mimics.
Philip
From: Canberrabirds
[
On Behalf Of Rodney & Deborah Ralph
Sent: Monday, 2 August, 2021 11:40 AM
To: 'Robert Parnell'
Cc:
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your interesting email, amazing that a Starling can mimic a Yellow-tailed Black but then nature sure is amazing and the surprises of what birds can do and where they
can appear seems to be never ending. Have to wonder how long or often a bird needs to hear another call to be able to mimic it. As would not have thought a Starling would hang around with Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos or be able to keep up with them, but then
those pesky Starlings are everywhere.
Cheers,
Deb & Rod
regarding mimicry. I have been hearing the call of Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos from my backyard for a year or so. The call was convincing enough for me to go looking in pine trees
up to a kilometre away without success. I'm fairly convinced now that the call is coming from a starling. New neighbours bought some chooks and since then we have had starlings. YTBCs periodically fly over our house.
also the Olive-backed Oriole which has been overwintering is a mimic. I heard one this morning (not mimicking) and saw one in Walker Cr. Narrabundah on 26 July.
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Geoffrey Dabb
Sent: Saturday, 31 July 2021 11:35 AM
To: 'Rodney & Deborah Ralph' <>;
Cc:
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
Well, in the words of our Olympics commentators,
I CAN’T WAIT to see the first Koel and I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD to hearing the first call …
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Rodney & Deborah Ralph
Sent: Friday, 30 July 2021 7:05 PM
To:
Cc:
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
Thanks Jack, Shorty and Philip,
Appreciate the explanations. There were a few Pied Currawongs around today and their call can be heard from quite a distance and this one was in the distance.
Haven’t heard our local Blackbirds sound like a Koel and one of ours went off this arvo. We also have Bowerbirds and they just keep “ringing” us up and their other usual noises
but it is something to keep in mind.
Thanks for your help. Good to know I am not the only one hearing them and thinking they sound like a Koel, thanks Shorty.
Cheers,
Deb and Rod
Thanks Deb and Rod, the Koel shouldn’t be here yet, and if so it would probably not be calling, though you never know following the remarkable last season.
As part of a paper being prepared for CBN tracking their rise in the ACT, I did a trawl through all COG’s Annual Bird Reports from the late 1990s, and the earliest record of a
Koel is from the 2nd GBS week of September (which starts on 11/9). This was way back in 2007-2008, and there are only 3 other years where they were first recorded in September, including 2020-2021. There is one confirmed winter record of a silent
female photographed in mid June a few of years back.
There are a number of species with which the male
ko-el call can be confused including the Pied Currawong, the one I personally can get fooled by is the Common Blackbird which has been occasionally calling around my local area over the past fortnight.
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of shorty via Canberrabirds
Sent: Friday, 30 July 2021 5:35 PM
To: Rodney & Deborah Ralph <>
Cc:
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Is anyone else hearing Pacific Koels yet?
I also heard what sounded like a short call of a Koel at my place the other day. On investigation it was a Pied Currawong.
On Fri, Jul 30, 2021 at 5:29 PM Rodney & Deborah Ralph <> wrote:
thought I heard a single call from Pacific Koel today at Jerrabomberra Wetlands did not add it to the eBird list as was not 100% sure but also thought I heard one at Isabella Pond
the other day.
Is anyone else hearing them yet? Surely it is too early?
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