A Conversation for The Loyal Zoological Society
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fiery opaleye - the happiest little Vegemite as bright, as bright can be Started conversation Aug 25, 2006
I heard about this story today at uni when we were discussing animal behaviour and how birds learn songs. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5277092.stm
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Traveller in Time Reporting Bugs -o-o- Broken the chain of Pliny -o-o- Hired Posted Aug 25, 2006
Traveler in Time 
talking to the birds
"So, what is new ?
Could mimic several whistles in my place of birth, now I am 50 km off I still do not get their songs. "
Cow accents
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Aug 25, 2006
The Chaffinch has a two part song; the first part of the song is genetically programmed, with an upward swoop. The second part is learned from the parents, and varies from region to region. When I was a child in Churchtown, South Dublin, the second part was two identical short high-pitched notes "poooop - peep peep". But in Balally, which is all of 3km away from Churchtown, the birds don't do the "peep peep". They obviously never learned it from their parents. Perhaps they are delinquent birds who hung around on street corners instead of attending to their parents.
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Ste Posted Aug 25, 2006
I loved that cow story. I saw it listed as one of CNN's top stories, and said to myself "oh, that HAS to be in England". Yup.
Ste
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