Birds have an impressive range of vocalizations that allow them to communicate in complex ways. While most birds are limited to making sounds with their syrinx, or voice box, some exceptional species can mimic sounds they hear in their environment. This ability to imitate sounds gives these birds enormous vocal repertoires.
Mimicry in Birds
Vocal mimicry is the ability to imitate sounds, and it is quite rare in the animal kingdom. Of all birds, parrots are the champions of mimicry and some species can imitate dozens or even hundreds of different sounds. Other types of birds that are known for their mimicry skills include lyrebirds, mynahs, mockingbirds, and some species of hornbills, crows, and ravens.
The most accomplished mimic in the avian world is the grey parrot. The African grey parrot is famous for its cognitive skills and has been shown to associate human words with meanings. Greys can learn words, phrases, and songs after hearing them only a few times. One grey parrot named Alex was reported to have a vocabulary of over 100 words.
Species of parrots renowned for vocal mimicry include:
- African grey parrot
- Yellow-crested cockatoo
- Budgerigar
- Eclectus parrot
- Indian ringneck parakeet
Lyrebirds are an Australian family of passerines that are incredible mimics. Superb lyrebirds can replicate almost any sound from their environment including other bird calls, camera shutters, car alarms, chainsaws, and even human-made sounds like a baby crying. Mimicry likely helps male lyrebirds show off their vocal skills when trying to attract females.
How Birds Mimic Sounds
All birds vocalize using their syrinx, which is located at the junction of the two bronchi in their respiratory tract. The syrinx contains vibrating membranes that are controlled by muscles. When air passes through, the membranes vibrate to produce sound.
Parrots have great control over their syrinxes and can make very intricate vocal sounds. They also have a large brain relative to their body size compared to other birds, with a large area dedicated to processing auditory information. This allows parrots to memorize and recreate novel sounds.
Scientists are not sure how lyrebirds are able to mimic sounds with such accuracy. They do not appear to have any specialized physical adaptations. One theory is that lyrebirds have more nuanced control over their syrinx that allows them to precisely replicate sounds they hear.
Why Birds Mimic
There are several theories as to why certain birds have evolved the ability to mimic sounds:
- Attracting mates – Male birds may mimic sounds to show off their vocal skills and attract females. The ability to mimic indicates intelligence and fitness.
- Defending resources – Mimicking predators or other animals may help scare off rivals to protect territory and other resources.
- Avoiding predation – Some birds may mimic poisonous species as a form of Batesian mimicry to avoid being eaten by predators.
- Social interaction – Vocal mimicry may help facilitate complex social interactions between individuals of a species. It could help birds develop stronger social bonds.
- No purpose – Some scientists think sound mimicry is just a byproduct of intelligence and vocal learning, rather than an adaptation.
Mimicry probably originally evolved to help with things like attracting mates and defending resources. But in some species, like parrots and lyrebirds, it has progressed far beyond this to become an impressive talent in its own right.
Sounds Mimicked by Birds
The types of sounds birds mimic are incredibly diverse. Here are some examples:
- Other bird calls – Many mimics can copy sounds of local bird species. Lyrebirds are able to flawlessly reproduce songs of over 20 different birds.
- Animal sounds – Some birds mimic animal sounds like barking, meowing, croaking, etc.
- Human speech – Parrots and mynahs are well known for mimicking human words and phrases after listening to people speak.
- Mechanical sounds – Lyrebirds mimic chainsaws, car engines, camera shutters, and other artificial sounds from their environment.
- Music – By listening to radios, TVs, or musical instruments, some birds can mimic melodies, songs, or rhythms.
- Natural sounds – Birds may mimic sounds like thunder, wind, or rainfall that they hear around them.
The kinds of sounds birds mimic depends on what they hear most frequently around them. Pet birds mimic human speech because that is what they are exposed to often. Lyrebirds in the forest mimic other forest sounds. The vocal plasticity of mimics allows them to replicate an incredible diversity of sounds.
Best Bird Mimics
While many birds have some ability to mimic sounds, these species are considered the best mimics in the avian world:
Grey Parrot
The African grey parrot is renowned for its ability to imitate human speech and other complex sounds. Greys sometimes learn hundreds of words and phrases. One grey named Einstein was recorded having a vocabulary of over 1000 words.
Lyrebird
Superb lyrebirds of Australia are amazing mimics. A lyrebird named Chook was documented mimicking sounds ranging from camera shutters to chainsaws with unbelievable accuracy.
Indian Myna
This common myna is an expert speech mimic. Some have been taught hundreds of words and phrases in captivity. They also mimic other birds and noises like telephone rings in the wild.
Mockingbird
Mockingbirds get their name from their ability to mimic. They copy sounds of other birds but can also mimic things like car alarms, barking dogs, and squeaking gates.
Blue Jay
While not on the same level as a parrot, blue jays are one of the better mimics among wild songbirds. They often copy calls of hawks and other species but can learn other sounds too.
| Bird | Mimicry Skills |
|---|---|
| Grey Parrot | Human speech, songs, noises. Huge vocabulary. |
| Lyrebird | Flawless mimicry of almost any natural or artificial sound. |
| Indian Myna | Human speech and words, other birds, telephone rings. |
| Mockingbird | Other bird calls, dog barks, car alarms, other noises. |
| Blue Jay | Can copy calls of hawks, squirrels, and other species. |
Mimicry in Captivity
Birds that are kept as pets or in zoos have extra opportunities to develop their mimicry skills because of being in close proximity to people. Some notable examples of captive birds with large mimetic vocabularies include:
- Alex the African grey parrot – He was studied extensively and found to have a vocabulary of over 100 words.
- Prudle the myna – This Indian myna mimicked almost 500 different sounds he heard from his surroundings.
- N’kisi the grey parrot – N’kisi could use English in context and had a working vocabulary of over 950 words.
- Puck the budgerigar – Puck holds the world record for the largest vocabulary for a bird. He was able to mimic over 1700 words.
Birds in captivity demonstrate that mimics can expand their vocal repertoires seemingly without limit. Given enough exposure to new sounds and frequent interaction with humans, some birds continue to add new words and noises to their vocabularies throughout their long lifespans.
Wild Mimics
Most research on vocal mimicry has understandably focused on captive birds, which are easy to observe, study, and interact with. However, wild birds also display this talent:
- Lyrebirds – Their skill at mimicking chainsaws and other human-made sounds shows they learn calls even without direct contact with people.
- Mockingbirds – Can pick up car alarms, barking dogs, and other sounds from their urban environments.
- Marsh warblers – These songbirds mimic over 200 different species in Europe and Africa.
- Bauer’s parrot – Can copy calls of hawk species that are predators.
The fact that wild birds exhibit mimicry when they only hear sounds from a distance demonstrates how innate this ability is in certain avian groups. Their mimicry skills likely evolved in wild settings long before contact with humans.
Rarest Mimics
Most birds have limited vocal imitation skills. These species stand out as having the most unusual or unexpected mimicking abilities in the bird world:
Crows and Ravens
While corvids like crows and ravens are intelligent, they do not mimic as well as parrots. However, there are anecdotal reports of these birds occasionally mimicking human phrases or noises like telephone ringtones.
Ostriches
Ostriches do not mimic sounds, but there are purported cases of ostriches learning to “parrot speak” by shaping their larynx to reproduce human speech.
Starlings
European starlings are songbirds that sometimes embed sounds from their environment like car alarms into their vocalizations, but detailed mimicry is rare.
Hummingbirds
A few instances exist of hummingbirds mimicking simple chirp sounds of other small birds, though this is very uncommon.
Cassowaries
These large flightless birds mainly use deep booming calls, but at least one cassowary was documented making higher-pitched whistling sounds mimicking an unusual fruit dove in its environment.
While most birds mimic within their own group, like parrots copying other parrots, seeing mimicry abilities in more unexpected groups like crows, ostriches, or hummingbirds shows the potential for vocal learning exists across many avian families.
Impacts of Mimicry
The ability to mimic sounds gives birds many advantages:
- Increased mating opportunities – Impressive mimicry skills allow males to showcase their talent to attract more female interest.
- Avoiding predators – Some mimics may copy dangerous species to reduce predation risk, like drongos mimicking meerkat alarm calls.
- Resource defense – Mimicking rivals or threats could help some birds protect food, nest sites, and other limited resources.
- Social bonding – Vocal mimicry may strengthen social relationships between mated pairs or in family groups among certain species.
- Cognitive development – The neural pathways involved in learning new sounds appear to enhance overall intelligence in mimics like parrots.
While the benefits depend on the species, vocal mimicry clearly improves survival and reproduction for birds with this talent. It gives them an expanded vocal toolkit to navigate social interactions and environmental challenges.
Mimetic Learning
Birds that mimic go through a sound learning process that allows them to pick up new vocals:
- Hearing the sound – The bird is exposed to an interesting new sound from its environment.
- Memorization – If it catches the bird’s attention, it may memorize qualities like pitch and rhythm.
- Muscle movement – The bird starts experimenting with muscle control to try reproducing the sound.
- Practice – With time and repetition, the bird gets better at mimicking the sound accurately.
- Different contexts – Eventually the bird integrates the new sound into its vocabulary and uses it appropriately in different contexts.
Outstanding mimics are masters at going through these steps to constantly expand their repertoires. Young birds typically pick up new sounds more easily than mature birds, but lifelong learning is key for birds like parrots and lyrebirds.
Dangers of Mimicry
While vocal mimicry provides many benefits, there are also some potential downsides for birds:
- May attract unwanted attention – Unique vocalizations could make a mimic more conspicuous to predators.
- Increased aggression – Some birds become more aggressive when learning sounds of predators or rivals.
- Miscommunication – Other birds may not understand mimicked vocalizations and misinterpret their meaning.
- Prevent natural learning – Spending too much time mimicking novel sounds could prevent learning a species’ normal vocalizations.
- Pet trade – Skilled mimicry makes species like parrots more desirable for the pet trade, risking population decline or poaching from the wild.
However, the advantages of mimicry appear to outweigh these risks overall. Exceptional mimics are among the most successful and widespread bird species globally despite vocal imitation skills occasionally causing issues.
Conclusion
Only a handful of bird families demonstrate true vocal mimicry skills. The most talented mimics like parrots, mynahs, and lyrebirds can recreate almost any sound with incredible precision. While most birds are limited in what sounds they can produce, the flexible vocal learning of mimics allows them to copy a diverse array of noises that is seemingly endless. This unusual talent evolved to provide advantages in areas like defending resources, attracting mates, avoiding predators, and strengthening social bonds. Mimicry provides an expanded vocal toolkit that birds creatively use to enhance their survival and reproductive success. The ability to recreate any sound, whether another animal call or chainsaw, is an impressive feat that highlights the vocal capabilities found in certain exceptional bird species.
