Comments | urbpan: Talking pet starling

urbpan

Talking pet starling

Sep 19, 2006 08:29

Not to give anyone any ideas, but in the United States, it's legal to own a European Starling as a pet (or pretty much do anything you want to them, as long as you don't run afoul of animal cruelty lawas). Here's someone in (apparently) South Carolina who has one, and has taught it a few phrases to speak. It's interesting how the quality of its ( Read more... )

talking birds, european starling, bird song

Comments 23

(The comment has been removed)

deathling September 19 2006, 14:22:21 UTC

The mockingbird that lives in my yard likes to imitate ambulances and car alarms. It cracks me up.

ndozo September 19 2006, 13:43:01 UTC

I didn't know they could talk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKtj4E_iss

Video of starlings flocking. Imagine if they were all speaking, in unison...

punkydolly September 19 2006, 13:49:56 UTC

Aw crap. Starlings are one of my favorates. Yes it's interesting that they can talk, but unless this bird was rescued the thought of keeping it in a cage makes me go all.....eurgh.

punkydolly September 19 2006, 13:58:22 UTC

...ok I see he gets to fly about outside and stuff. Still hope it doesn't give anyone the idea that this is an ideal pet - they are damn noisy for a start!

deathling September 19 2006, 14:20:56 UTC

His voice sounds like one of those artificial voice boxes (my fiancee calls them cancer kazoos).
I wouldn't want one of those birds. I think they are gross and grubby. Plus he's got a wicked looking beak.

bluelinegoddess September 19 2006, 15:16:45 UTC

I knew a parakeet (budgie) that talked the same way. He was fond of telling everyone what a pretty bird he was, catcalling when he saw himself in a mirror, and imitating laughs.

wirrrn September 19 2006, 14:22:39 UTC

Hey,

Starlings are considered feral pests here Down Under. They're shot and poisoned like nobody's business, unfortunately.

Undisputed champion of avian mimics is the male Aussie Lyre Bird. They have no calls of their own, but "steal" the calls of other birds, and give a perfect, "playback quality" of the song of kookaburras, magpies, crows, roosters- and not just birds either, but also kangaroos, dingoes, chainsaws, typewriters, SUV engines... David Attenborough once filmed one, and it started making the whirring sound that his camera was emitting!

urbpan September 19 2006, 14:55:09 UTC

I posted a link to the video of that lyrebird a while back. Maybe in my "videos" tag?

urbpan September 19 2006, 21:01:43 UTC

No, no. My " david attenborough" tag will work, or " lyrebird."

As I recall, there was some discussion about whether the chainsaw sound it made was real or not.