So which bird can you imitate?

[AdamWargon]

I just realized there is this related thread from 2021:

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/what-animal-sounds-can-you-mimic/

Here is my favourite reply from it:

@NoGenAI

As a kid, I always wanted to be a marine biologist and work with dolphins.

I’d spend hours mimicking the vocalisations of any species i could find.

A few years ago, now in my 30’s, swimming in Florida, I saw a bottlenose pod out by the first sandbar, quite far away.

I was thinking it was a shame I wasn’t a surfer, so it would be hard to see them closer. Then I remembered the calls I would mimic, and decided what the heck and tried a few of the sounds I remembered. It didn’t work.

But then I thought uh, duh, they are underwater, so I stuck my head in the water and tried again. One broke off from the pod, and swam right at me.

I started to think maybe I said something mean and this was a horrible idea, as seeing a dolphin pulling such speed right at ya is a bit disconcerting! But it diverged last second and did a loop around me on its side, looking up at me, then sped off back to the pod.

Best. Day. Ever. I’m sure it was thinking wtf is the dumb human saying.