naturerecordists
[Top] [All Lists]

Parroting builds social bonds

Subject: Parroting builds social bonds
From: "Y. Dumiel" <>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 15:03:20 -0700 (PDT)
Nature Science Update
9th International Behavioral Ecology Congress,
Montreal, Canada, July 2002

Parroting builds social bonds
Birds use mimicry to indicate 'let's get together'.
11 July 2002
JOHN WHITFIELD

Parrots use their powers of mimicry to make friends, researchers have found=
.
Birds copy the calls of those they want to meet.

This might explain why pet parrots are so good at imitating human speech, s=
ays
ornithologist Jack Bradbury, of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. "Mimi=
cry
is very important to them in terms of social affiliation," he told the
International Congress on Behavioral Ecology in Montreal, Canada this week.

Bradbury studies orange-fronted conures (Aratinga canicularis) living in Co=
sta
Rican forest. The birds come together each day into temporary flocks to fee=
d
and roost.

When they meet, some birds make a special call, a 'chee' sound. Every bird'=
s
chee is slightly different. Copying another's seems to mean 'let's get
together'.

Mimicry is a good way to make contact across a crowded bush, says Bradbury.
"It's like setting up a telephone line across a very busy intersection."

Full text
http://www.nature.com/nsu/020708/020708-13.html




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Parroting builds social bonds, Y. Dumiel <=
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the naturerecordists mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU