When a little black and white bird landed next to their park bench, this couple didn't find anything out of the ordinary. However, when their newfound feathered friend started up a conversation, things began to get interesting.
The bird appeared to be mimicking their speech patterns, especially that of the male. Before too long, what started as a causal observation of an interesting bird species turned into a full-blown conversation.
Birds that seem to talk are certainly nothing new: Take this amazing talking Parrot from The Ellen Degeneres Show or this amazing bird that makes the most otherworldly yet human-like sounds, for example. They are each mimicking what they hear in their environments on a daily basis
While not all birds have the ability to mimic language to the extent of say, a parrot or macaw, ornithologists (the fancy term for bird scientists) say that most birds show the ability to engage in mimicry, and are able to create what they call "extra-specific" sounds — sounds that, while sounding a lot like human speech, stop just short of being actual language.
While the reasons behind why birds mimic are as yet unproven, there are several plausible theories. Some say that mimicry is nothing more than mistaken copying, which the bird engages in in order to copy species-specific calls. Others postulate that birds engage in specific mimicry patterns in order to identify different flocks, and others yet believe it as a method for warding-off predators.
Whatever the reason, we can't help but find it absolutely amazing, and we think that this couple would agree.
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