Watch: Bird in Australian zoo mimics a crying baby

Taronga zoo, located in Sydney shared a video of Echo,
the resident lyrebird bird on Tuesday.

“Bet you weren’t expecting this wake-up call!
You’re not hearing things, our resident lyrebird Echo has the AMAZING ability
to replicate a variety of calls – including a baby’s cry!” the zoo wrote in its
tweet.

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In the video, the lyrebird can be heard imitating a
crying baby. The sound produced by the bird sounds uncannily similar.

According to zoo officials, these birds are experts
at belting out various vocal noises and have been recorded creating everything
from car horns to jackhammers to chainsaws in the past.

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In the instance of Echo, Leanne Golebiowski, the
Unit supervisor at Taronga Zoo, told British daily, the Guardian that Echo
began practicing bits of the weeping a year ago.

Echos have an exceptional memory, according to
authorities and they can recall sounds well enough to rehearse them even after
the source of the sound has been withdrawn.

“I can only assume that he picked it up from our
guests. Obviously, he has been working on his craft during lockdown!”
Golebiowski said. During the lockdown, it demonstrated how Echo was able
to recall the sound of a wailing infant and develop its abilities. It also
meant that a year ago, there were a lot of crying infants at the zoo.

Sir David Attenborough, a famous natural historian
and BBC wildlife program presenter has characterized the song of lyrebirds
in the wild as “the most elaborate, the most beautiful, and the most
beautiful.”

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Several birds might
claim to be the finest mimics in the world, according to allaboutbirds.org.
Mockingbirds, thrashers, and catbirds are examples of master mimics in North
America. The Brown Thrasher, according to a bird study website, can sing up to
2,000 distinct melodies and is North America’s champion mimic.