Parrots mimic the calls of
others in order to "start a conversation", according to scientists.
Researchers observed the behaviour
of orange-fronted conures: parakeets found from western Mexico to Costa Rica.
The scientists found that the
birds responded faster and more frequently when other birds imitated their
calls.
The authors suggest that the
parrots may have developed their impressive mimicry to be able to address
individuals within a flock.
The findings, by Dr Thorsten
Balsby from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and colleagues from the
University of Copenhagen, Denmark, are published in the journal PLOS
One.
According to Mr Balsby, the
research was inspired by a previous study that suggested that spectacled
parrotlets (Forpus conspicillatus) use different calls to effectively
"name" individuals in a flock.
But in the wild the
orange-fronted conures (Aratinga canicularis) live in what researchers describe
as "network environments" - dynamic flocks with multiple birds
calling simultaneously.
"Such a naming system
would probably not work, as each individual potentially encounters hundreds of
birds on a weekly basis," explained Dr Balsby.
Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20409866
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