The bird that imitates chainsaws and car alarms
This bird can perfectly copy a chainsaw, a car alarm, and even a camera shutter.
The short version
The Australian lyrebird has the most complex voice box of any bird and mimics almost any sound it hears — other birds, koalas, chainsaws, camera clicks and car alarms — all to impress a mate.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Lyrebird can perfectly imitate a chainsaw, a car alarm and a camera shutter.
- ✓The Lyrebird has the most complex voice box of any bird.
- ✓The Lyrebird mimics other birds, koalas and even dingoes in the wild.
- ✓The Lyrebird does all of its mimicry to impress a mate.
The full story
This bird can perfectly copy the sound of a chainsaw, a car alarm, and even a camera shutter. Meet the lyrebird, which has the single most complex voice box of any bird on the entire planet. It uses that incredible voice to imitate almost any sound that it hears, with honestly terrifying accuracy. Out in the wild, they will copy other birds, koalas, and even the calls of dingoes. But near humans, they have been recorded mimicking chainsaws, camera clicks, car alarms, and even crying babies, perfectly. And here is the craziest part. The males do all of this for one single reason, to impress a female and win a mate. So just imagine being serenaded, except the romantic love song is a chainsaw. Follow for more weird animals.
Watch the 45-second version
Lyrebird gallery
