Hi Tweets,

Deb Beutler writes:

>Research on mimids (I think it was mockingbirds) suggests males learn new
>sounds all through their lives. Females prefer males with larger
>repertoires. The theory goes "The bigger the repertoire, the older the
>male, the better the male because he can survive longer". So males are
>under selective pressure to learn as many sounds as possible.

Wonderful theory. Could it explain why a European Starling Sturna vulgaris
in Vancouver BC can mimic perfectly the songs of the Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis back east?

I've noticed also that they'll start mimicking some northbound migrants
about two or three weeks before they arrive.

>I don't think
>anyone has studied whether female starlings prefer male starlings with
>bigger repertoires. I think female starlings must prefer something else
>(cavity size, body size, plumage color, etc.) otherwise the males would be
>better at their imitations.

They do fine imitations, but the quality's wirier or reedier than the
original song.

>I'm not even sure if anyone has researched
>whether only male starlings mimic. If it sexual selection (like the
>mockingbirds) it should appear only in males; however, it is possible that
>both sexes mimic.

Well, there's a male on the telephone line out back of my place who whips
out a string of imitations--sample sequence: Greater Yellowlegs Tringa
melanoleuca, Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis, Killdeer Charadrius
vociferus, Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus--then does that weird
little one-arm flapping and issues a sequence of starling notes.

>JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD A STARLING DO *THAT* DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T!!!

Ain't that the truth! They can mimic any bird, any animal, even mechanicals.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)