Friday, December 18, 2009

-- Keeping the Beat --

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Not IBWO, but in a comment further down "onthecoyle" notes the below YouTube clip in which a Pileated Woodpecker on a window ledge interestingly mimics the knocks (rhythm and number) produced by human observers inside. Great look at a great bird, and fascinating behavior... :




ADDENDUM: still a great look at a great bird, but unfortunately the "behavior" has now been readily explained away; see comment below.
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5 comments:

Gator said...

Things are not always as they appear: I believe the rapping IS the woodpecker and the video and audio are simply out of sync with the audio trailing the video. This seems to happen frequently on YouTube videos, but usually not with this much separation. What first struck me was the absence of any trace of the sound the woodpecker's strikes should be making on the other side of that glass. And it was almost too perfect, with the bird not missing a lick, and delaying its "response" by the exact same time, every time. The person posting the video makes no claim that it's responding. It's simply a bird looking at its reflection, rapping occasionally. But still a neat video.

Gator said...

I should have said "video trailing the audio" rather than the other way around. At any rate, we're hearing the sound before we see its source.

Unknown said...

Good catch.

cyberthrush said...

Thanks for the input Mark... "Things are not always as they appear" is not the favorite saying in these here parts ;-) but I think you nailed it in this instance.

Gator said...

I kinda said it that way on purpose, just to keep us on our toes, you know.