http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-184 Samantha Vimes Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:09:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-184 Ah, yes, once I heard the most amazing, complicated birdsong. Tried looking up calls the next day, nothing like it. Then I heard the car alarm across the street go off... again. Car alarms sound a LOT better coming from a mockingbird's throat! Ah, yes, once I heard the most amazing, complicated birdsong. Tried looking up calls the next day, nothing like it. Then I heard the car alarm across the street go off… again.
Car alarms sound a LOT better coming from a mockingbird’s throat!

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-183 Ed Yong Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:24:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-183 "or else trying to lure blind people into the street." This made me chuckle. I love the idea of an urban mockingbird that has evolved to prey on commuters by luring them across busy streets. In fact, breeding such an animal would make my journey into work more pleasant :-) “or else trying to lure blind people into the street.”
This made me chuckle. I love the idea of an urban mockingbird that has evolved to prey on commuters by luring them across busy streets. In fact, breeding such an animal would make my journey into work more pleasant

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-182 HP Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:21:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/03/27/city-birds-struggle-to-make-themselves-heard/#comment-182 Congratulations on the gig! That does sound exciting. A couple years ago, I was walking through a relatively quiet part of the city, when I heard the audio "walk" signal for blind pedestrians. Which was odd, because I was nowhere near a designated crosswalk, and far from the city center. I looked around and tried to find the source of the sound, and there was a proud mockingbird two stories up on a building ledge, either competing with an audio crosswalk for mates, or else trying to lure blind people into the street. Congratulations on the gig! That does sound exciting.
A couple years ago, I was walking through a relatively quiet part of the city, when I heard the audio “walk” signal for blind pedestrians. Which was odd, because I was nowhere near a designated crosswalk, and far from the city center. I looked around and tried to find the source of the sound, and there was a proud mockingbird two stories up on a building ledge, either competing with an audio crosswalk for mates, or else trying to lure blind people into the street.

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