Most of us are familiar with the “caw” of a crow, the “cluck” of a chicken and the “quack” of a duck. However, the world of birds is filled with many other interesting and sometimes downright ridiculous avian calls. Nick Lund, author of The Birdist, has picked out some of the best in this hilarious video from NPR’s Skunk Bear.
The less-than-intimidating chirp of the bald eagle might not be the strangest of the bunch, but it's probably the most surprising. The sound most commonly associated with this imposing bird is actually the badass screech of the red-tailed hawk. You have Hollywood to thank for misleading you all these years: the bald eagle's call is often dubbed over in films to make it sound more impressive.
The "bloop bloop" call of the American bittern is produced using a modified oesophagus, and is used to attract nearby females.
If these five calls aren’t weird enough for you, check out this video of a lyrebird doing its best impression of a laser gun!
Top header imgage: Jan Rose/Flickr
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