Bird world’s Ringo drums up his individual groove to attract a mate
AN Australian parrot that makes drum sticks from branches has been named the Ringo Starr of the animal kingdom.
Scientists came up with the comparison after a seven-year study in which wild palm cockatoos were filmed drumming with rhythmic precision to impress prospective mates.
While song birds and whales may be natural music-makers, the parrot is one of the very few species known that can recognise a beat.
Professor Rob Heinsohn, who led the team from The Australian National University, said: “The large smoky-grey parrots fashion thick sticks from branches, grip them with their feet and bang them on trunks and tree hollows, all the while displaying to females.
“The icing on the cake is that the taps are almost perfectly spaced over very
The Beatles with Ringo, second from right, in 1960s.
long sequences, just like a human drummer would do holding a regular beat.”
The drumming ability of the palm cockatoo was known, but performances by the shy and elusive bird have not been studied in such detail before.
Over seven years, the researchers patiently
stalked the parrots through thick rainforest.
They filmed 18 males drumming, each of which got into its own groove.
“Such individual styles might allow other birds to recognise who it is drumming from a long way away,” said Mr Heinsohn. A SCOTTISH international darts player left his friend with an x-shaped injury on his head after punching him during a post-match drinking session.
Neil MacDougall knocked Graham Hamilton to the ground with a single blow in a hotel car park after they fell out in the wake of a darts competition. MacDougall – who also captains a shooting syndicate – had his firearms certificate revoked as a result of the incident.
Semi-professional darts player MacDougall – who was knocked out of the Grand Slam of Darts by Andy “The Viking” Fordham – admitted attacking his friend on March 19.
MacDougall, 43, of Garry Place, Bankfoot, Perthshire, admitted punching Mr Hamilton on