Ever heard a bird neigh like a horse?
Listen to the Starling that sounds like a chicken and the Blackbird that imitates a computer modem
On 22nd March 2006, the British Library will be launching Bird Mimicry, a new CD that features 26 of the rarest recordings of incredible avian imitation ever captured. Highlights include a jay that neighs like a horse; bullfinches that whistle traditional German folk tunes; song thrush mimicry of a quail; a blackbird that imitates a computer modem and a starling that can imitate an owl, jackdaw and a chicken. All of the sounds have been drawn from the British Library Sound Archive that holds the world's largest collection of nature sounds.
Acoustic mimicry or vocal copying is a common behaviour pattern amongst birds. Captive birds such as parrots, mynahs and budgerigars, often learn to mimic the voices of their owners in order to be rewarded with increased attention and social contact. Henry VIII famously owned an African grey parrot that would summon boatmen from across the water at Hampton Court Palace and Queen Victoria continued the tradition with her African grey 'Coco' that was taught "God Save the Queen" by members of the Royal family. More recently 'Ziggy', also an African grey parrot, revealed the infidelity of its owner's girlfriend when it imitated her voice when speaking to the third party in her affair.
Bird Mimicry contains examples of a raven that repeats the word 'hello', bullfinches that whistle traditional German folk tunes and the champion talking budgerigar 'Sparkie Williams' that imitated human speech with his owner's Newcastle accent, including the intake of breath between phrases.
In the wild, the most skilled bird mimics are those species that increase their repertoire of songs by copying other sounds and are able to seem more impressive to rivals and mates. These sounds can be extremely varied and range from the mimicry of other birds and mammals to the imitation of the sounds of human activity. Included on Bird Mimicry are the starling that imitates the cry of an owl, jackdaw and a chicken, a jay that neighs like a horse, a blackbird that can imitate the sound of a computer modem dial-up and a bowerbird in Papua New Guinea that mimics the sounds of metal ladders, hammering, sawing, the rattles of a ball bearing inside a paint spray can, and the Pidgin English speech of workmen mending the tin roof of a house.
Finally, Bird Mimicry contains a rare example of a direct form of imitation. A blackbird reproduces the call of a golden plover heard nearby. In the middle of this recording the singing blackbird seems to pause while listening to the golden plover flying high overhead and then gives two instantaneous versions of his own.
Richard Ranft of the British Library Sound Archive who compiled Bird Mimicry said: "Among the extraordinary recordings on this CD are very rare examples of mimicking wild birds captured by highly skilled sound recordists. Each track reveals the amazing abilities of birds to listen, memorize and replicate sounds. Some birds can even copy complicated sounds that they've only heard once or twice. As the CD demonstrates, some cage birds are able to mimic human speech with such accuracy that some listeners will barely believe the sounds have been made by birds. What is even more fascinating is that they produce the sounds in a different way to our speech."
Richard Ranft is available for interview from an ISDN studio on Wednesday 22 March. He can talk about how the recordings for Bird Mimicry were selected, the significance of the recordings and about the extent of the Library's wildlife collections. Richard Ranft is Head of Technical Services at the British Library Sound Archive and an expert on its wildlife collections. A selection of audio clips from the CD are available for web and radio use.
For further information, to arrange an interview or for a review copy of Bird Mimicry contact Victoria Main at the British Library Press Office: +44 (020) 7412 7112 or Victoria.Main@bl.uk.
Notes to Editors
Bird Mimicry is published by the British Library, from 22 nd March 2006 price £9.95 ISBN 0 7123 0529 7. The CD is available from the British Library Bookshop (tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7735, fax +44 (0)20 7412 7624, e-mail: bl-bookshop@bl.uk) or the online bookshop www.bl.uk.
The British Library Sound Archive holds the world's most comprehensive collection of nature sounds including over 150,000 recordings of over 10,000 kinds of animals and their habitats from Britain and overseas. Over 400 of these sounds can be accessed online through Listen to Nature at www.bl.uk/listentonature.
The British Library is the national Library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.