David Attenborough and the Amazing Lyre Bird
Many folks have already seen this video of the singing lyrebird (more than 844,000 times).
The lyrebird imitates the calls of atleast 20 different species. He copies the kookaburra. “It’s a very convincing impersonation. Even the original is fooled”, says David. He even copies other, man-made sounds he’s heard in the jungle. The camera shutter (*ka-chick*). The camera shutter with a motor drive. And even the jungle raiders’ chainsaw.
I wonder if it is amazing or just plain heartbreaking to see bird copy camera sounds, the car alarm or the chainsaw… in an attempt to find mates.
Does anyone else see the irony here? What are we — the so-called intelligent species — leaving behind for the animal kingdom?