'Ya bloody fool': Aussie ducks pick up fowl language

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-09-06 09:01

Australia; International

Photo by yx elle on Unsplash

The Australian musk duck is capable of imitating sounds including human speech, according to international researchers. The researchers analysed audio recordings of two ducks who were raised at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in Canberra, almost 15 years apart. One of the ducks, named Ripper, was recorded imitating a slamming door and a phrase that in true Aussie fashion sounds like "you bloody fool." He whipped out these impersonations during mating displays.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Vocal imitations and production learning by Australian musk ducks (Biziura lobata)

Australian musk ducks can mimic sounds and human voices. During mating displays, recordings show ‘Ripper’ the hand-reared male musk duck imitating the sound of a slamming door and words which sound similar to “you bloody fool” – something he most likely heard repeatedly from his caretaker. This vocal learning ability - comparable to songbirds and parrots - raises questions about why certain species evolved these traits, and not others. (Audio available)

Multimedia

SI-2-Ripper-imitating-door.wav

SI-1-Aviary-door-opening-and-closing.wav

SI-3-Ripper-door-with-mumble.wav

SI-4-Ripper-you-bloody-foo.wav

SI-5-Musk-duck2-deviant-whistle-and-mimicy-of-Pacific-black-duck.wav

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Research The Royal Society, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Leiden University, Netherlands

Funder: The authors received no funding for this study

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