'You bloody fool': Duck mimics human sound during mating display
CTV
An Australian musk duck has been recorded saying 'You bloody fool' in the first documented instance of the species mimicking human speech.
A hand-reared male named Ripper was recorded imitating the phrase during a courtship display, according to a study published Monday. The authors said he could have learned it from his caretaker. "The Australian musk duck demonstrates an unexpected and impressive ability for vocal learning," the study said. The report also details how Ripper imitated the sound of a door opening and closing. There are many species of ducks and geese that are bred in captivity, and there haven't been any reports of them showing an ability to mimic human sounds, study author Carel ten Cate told CNN on Tuesday. "It's quite exceptional then to come across a species which apparently has the ability to mimic these sounds," he said.
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