On Tue, Apr 03, 2007 at 08:54:04PM +1000, Evan Beaver wrote:
> ... I finally saw a Ring-Tail Possum on our property. I knew
> they were here (I've heard the female Satin Bower imitating them)
Mimicry of a vocally-inconspicuous nocturnal mammal by a female Satin
Bowerbird is really worth documenting carefully.
Passerine species where females sing regularly, duets aside, are the
exception, and explanation is interesting. HANZAB does mention
obervations of mimicry in female Satin Bowerbirds but has no details,
its cites the Friths' book which I don't have, and 1934 Emu paper.
Given the similarity of appearance of females to immature males - it
might pass unobserved.
Satin Bowerbirds mostly mimic a small number of conspicuous diurnal
birds. Lyrebirds mimic a wider range of species and mimicry of mammals &
nocturnal species has been reported, but judging by systematic studies
( some by regular birding-aus contributors) of lyrebird song, it must
be very infrequent.
Andrew
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