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Re: Lyrebird playing a musical instrument

Subject: Re: Lyrebird playing a musical instrument
From: "Rich Peet" <>
Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 15:50:44 -0000
No matter how I try to limit the definition to solo out your bird Syd 
I still run into problems.  I know of 4 of us from this group that 
watched and recorded a Red-Naped Sapsucker choose a small metal tag 
on a tree to drum upon because of the obsurdly loud sound it made.  
How do come up with a definition that excludes that bird?

Rich Peet

--- In  "Rich Peet" <> 
wrote:
> Those are examples of mechanical sound rather than vocal sound but 
do 
> not incorporate a choice of a foreign object to generate a sound.
> 
> Greater Prairie chickens do use the ground to resonate sound while 
> thumping their feet and at the same time vocalize but that is just 
a 
> complex display and no choice of foreign object was made.
> 
> Roughed Grouse have a very specific set of needs when choosing a 
dead 
> log to display on. They do use a specific diameter and degree of 
rot 
> within the log to generate a proper mechanical resonance within 
their 
> display.  But that too would not be an example of choosing an 
object 
> as an instrument. It would be more similar to woodpeckers making 
the 
> best possible choice of an object to drum upon.
> 
> If you define the use of an instrument to be "an optional choice of 
a 
> foreign object to generate music. I know of no examples right now.
> 
> If you take the dictionary definition as a "device for producing 
> music", then any of the critters that make mechanical sound on 
> foreign objects qualify as using an instrument.
> 
> Rich Peet
> 
> --- In  "Jim Morgan" 
<> 
> wrote:
> > Syd - A few things come to mind such as the wing whistle noises 
> made by the
> > Mourning Dove, the booming of Common Nighthawks,  bill clicking 
by 
> Barn Owls
> > and woodpecker drumming. I'm sure the group can point out many 
> others.
> > 
> > Jim
> > 
> > Jim Morgan
> > Acting Moderator
> > Nature Recordists e-mail group:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists
> > Personal Photography:
> > http://wingsofnature.com/
> > 



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