Apparently, the bird has a good chance for the VP nom in '12

October 31, 2008 5:00 PM

A short video of a starling saying something.
posted by 31d1 (32 comments total)

A two-bird ticket, eh.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 5:03 PM on October 31, 2008

That has the makings of an awesome dance jam. Something industrial.
posted by piratebowling at 5:03 PM on October 31, 2008

piratebowling, I'm thinking more "ambient background for a spooky IDM track"...reminds me of Boards of Canada's "The Devil is in the Details." Subtly unnerving!

(Also, I know starlings can mimic things, but this trips my "faked?" trigger. Not saying it's not real, though.)
posted by retronic at 5:07 PM on October 31, 2008

It wasn't a starling saying something, it was just reading a MeFi political thread.
posted by Mblue at 5:10 PM on October 31, 2008

As twitter streams go, this one is fairly sophisticated and comprehensible.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:13 PM on October 31, 2008 [7 favorites]

Every time a starling speaks, God a blue heron kills a kitten bunny.
posted by cephalopodcast at 5:15 PM on October 31, 2008

I'm pretty sure it's making fun of us.
posted by Citizen Premier at 5:16 PM on October 31, 2008

Would have been more clever with a link. Don't click if you are easily squicked.
posted by cephalopodcast at 5:16 PM on October 31, 2008

No, starling, Islam is NOT the light, I don't care what you say.
posted by penduluum at 5:17 PM on October 31, 2008 [4 favorites]

Now I know he didn't say any of that. Birds don't have lips.
posted by Dumsnill at 5:22 PM on October 31, 2008

I will kill as you command.
posted by ColdChef at 5:27 PM on October 31, 2008

"Quoth? Quoth? That's all you've got? You can kiss my speckled cloaca you char-feathered pigeon diddler."

That's what I heard, anyway.
posted by maxwelton at 5:38 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]

I love how at :33 & :56 the bird briefly seems to mimic the sound of snoring, lol.
posted by zarah at 5:41 PM on October 31, 2008

hello

b3ta
posted by Saddo at 5:42 PM on October 31, 2008 [1 favorite]

About 27 seconds in I distinctly heard it whisper, "Let the chimps out."
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 6:13 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]

A lot of birds, if caught young, can be taught to replicate human sounds with incredible accuracy.
posted by fire&wings at 6:20 PM on October 31, 2008

One of these days, my log will have something to say about this.

Also: cranberry sauce.
posted by jbickers at 6:58 PM on October 31, 2008

In spring and summer, mating male starlings will sit at the top of my Ponderosas and go through an amazing repertoire--quail, Canada geese, jays, crows--you name it. Bowerbirds collect trinkets to attract a mate. These guys collect bird calls.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:08 PM on October 31, 2008

Now I know he didn't say any of that. Birds don't have lips

Well, I'm not sure the article you linked substantiates that. He actually points out that, at least parrots, can mimic a huge range of vocalizations without lips. He was pointing out that the claim of the reviewer that it couldn't pronounce one word due to lack of lips was absurd.

That said, two things: 1. That blog is really cool, and the comments fascinating, thanks. 2. I don't believe the linked video at all. It's on b3ta. That gives it roughly the credibility as 4chan, SomethingAwful, or a Fark Photoshop thread -- in no particular oder.
posted by cj_ at 7:09 PM on October 31, 2008

That's the ghost of Clarice Starling.

No, really, it's Damar. But it does sound spooky, that feathery whispering, weird. How do these birds do that?! It's like they download all these sounds and sing them all at once. I'm gaga for starlings, so mischievous and curious. Weewoo, phone ringing.

Check out Danger Bird!

This guy, Amos the starling's even scarier.

The Armenian talking dancing parakeet. This parrot is such a charming conversationalist with his fellow bird.

oh dear, bird ramble. Better press send.
posted by nickyskye at 7:13 PM on October 31, 2008 [4 favorites]

Birds will one day, again, rule the Earth. Once it gets too hot for humans. Cold blooded animals did well when Antarctica was a tropical jungle. In fact, birds may even be behind the whole thing. Who serves who, the man or the chicken? Botany of Desire.
posted by stbalbach at 7:20 PM on October 31, 2008

Well, I'm not sure the article you linked substantiates that. He actually points out that, at least parrots, can mimic a huge range of vocalizations without lips

I was making a joke. But yes, LanguageLog is very very cool. Check out their posts on Dan Brown.
posted by Dumsnill at 7:20 PM on October 31, 2008

Egrh. I haven't had the chills like that since I realized Palin might actually become the vice president.
posted by Ugh at 7:42 PM on October 31, 2008

Wow, that's creepy.

I heard a pretty clear "I hate the whore" a couple of times.

offtopic: I just took a second job at Target. My first night on hardlines, I was part of a crew cleaning up aisles, straightening merchandise, etc., and when we get to the toy department, my twenty-years-younger-than-me supervisor points out the doll that says "Islam is the light". Yes, it does say something that sounds an awful lot like that.
posted by yhbc at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2008

Damar, the starling's caretaker, Kasia, has a bunch of fun videos. Here is Pom Pom the reluctant to be touched starling hanging around for a good snuggle l Mezoti, her muscovy duck "swimming" in cage l brooding hen warming kittens.
posted by nickyskye at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2008 [2 favorites]

Birds will one day, again, rule the Earth. Once it gets too hot for humans. Cold blooded animals did well when Antarctica was a tropical jungle.

Uh, bird are warm blooded.
posted by ryanrs at 9:31 PM on October 31, 2008

Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings.
posted by bwg at 11:56 PM on October 31, 2008

Anything sounds creepy coming out of a starling.


Previous post about what you can do to make all starlings say one man's name.
posted by longsleeves at 12:31 AM on November 1, 2008

I remember reading somewhere many, many moons ago that birds learn their song from other local birds. I guess it would be possible that a young domesticated bird could pickup human language as their song.
posted by Nik_Doof at 12:49 AM on November 1, 2008

For a while I lived opposite some sheltered housing for the elderly. The warden's house was fitted with an external bell so that he could hear emergency calls if he was outside the house or, given the volume, pretty much anywhere in the complex. The system worked pretty well until some of the local bird population learned the ring sound.
posted by mandal at 2:52 AM on November 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

But nothing tops the lyre bird.
posted by bwg at 2:52 AM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

[Just pretend that the second 'pretty' actually says 'fairly' and I'll feel better.]
posted by mandal at 2:54 AM on November 1, 2008 [1 favorite]