BIRDS AS MIMICS
Birds, from the ostrich down, are imitative. Where he lives alone the ostrich is silent, but in a country where lions abound he roars. The reason is that, admiring the lion's roar, he gradually learns to roar himself. Among small birds, buntings imitate pipits, and greenfinches imitate yeliowhauiniers. They seek their food in the winter together, and they gradually steal each other's calls. Tilts jay is an insatiable imitator. Some will include in their repertory not only the cries or songs of other birds, but Ihe bleat of the land) and the neigh of a horse. liven the nightingale imitates. In a nightingale's song it is frequently easy to detect phrases borrowed from other birds.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19290612.2.11
Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 12 June 1929, Page 2
Word Count
118BIRDS AS MIMICS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 12 June 1929, Page 2
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Nelson Evening Mail. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.