The best ever discussion of why birds mimic or at least a model on which
to analyse it, was given in a 1979 paper: by David S Dobkin (currently
or recently editor of The Condor). 'Functional and evolutionary
relationships of vocal copying phenomena in birds', Zeitschrift fur
Tierpsychologie 50, 348-363. I have corresponded with him recently about
this.
I was influential in my analysis: about Batesian Acoustic Mimicry by the
Regent Honeyeater.
In most cases the mimicry of birds has no relevance to the model being
imitated. The Regent Honeyeater is an exception and the African
Robin-chat may be another.
Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah ACT 2902
02 - 62314041
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Margaret Cameron
Sent: Friday, 2 April 2010 10:03 AM
To: michael norris;
Subject: Mimicry by Grey Butcherbird and others (was
GreyButcherbird mimicry)
Thanks for remembering my previous posting Michael, I enjoyed your
report!
I've changed the subject line in case I cause the thread to travel away
from
the Grey Butcherbird.
Although I still have Grey Butcherbirds in my garden regularly (usually
lurking in the same tree) I've never heard mimicry again - but then I'm
often not here. Craig Morley reminded me that he published a similar
observation of a Grey Butcherbird in Eastern Park, Geelong, in the
Geelong
Naturalist.
It is a puzzle to me - and, I find, to real ornithologists - why they do
it.
When I was a beginner birdwatcher in Sydney I remember Alec Chisholm
collecting mimicry records; he maintained that the Chestnut-rumped
Heathwren
was the best. There is a good discussion in J.D.Macdonald's Birds for
beginners: how birds live and behave (Reed,1980) including a paragraph
entitled "Mimicry perhaps functionless". He does not mention a theory I
have read somewhere else that predators mimic little birds so the little
birds will come up to see what is happening and the predator can grab
them,
or they will lead the predator to their nest. We know this is not true
of
our Grey Butcherbirds as ours mimic big birds.
Near Helidon (Southeast Queensland) yesterday 1 April we heard an
Olive-backed Oriole mimicking small birds - Weebill, Speckled Warbler,
Silvereye, White-browed Scrubwren, fairy-wren. It did not mimic any of
the
numerous big birds also in the area. Orioles do take nestlings (HANZAB);
Red-backed Fairy-Wrens close by appeared to be taking food to a nest and
were certainly very nervous but we thought this was because of us.
After my March 2007 posting someone wrote who was studying Pied
Butcherbird
vocalizations. Sorry I've lost your name but maybe by now you have a
theory?
Margaret Cameron
2 Cintra Street
Eastern Heights, Qld
Australia 4305
07 3282 9151
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