Can science save the regent honeyeaters? The songbirds are so rare that there are not enough to teach their chicks to sing. But experts in Australia could have a solution.
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The birds re-learning their love songs
Can science save the regent honeyeaters? The songbirds are so rare that there are not enough to teach their chicks to sing. But experts in Australia could have a solution.
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What's happening
Dr Crates was confused. The bird he was watching had a black head, a speckled belly and a lemon-yellow tail. He was sure it was the rare regent honeyeaterA breed of honeyeater bird with black and yellow feathers. They used to be found all over eastern Australia. Now, they are mostly found in the states of Victoria and New South Wales..
But it was making the wrong noise. This little bird sounded just like a noisy friarbird. Why?
Find out more
When we are young, we learn to speak by copying adults. Chicks are the same. They learn their songs by spending time with older birds. But one Australian species is learning the wrong song.
Regent honeyeaters are endangeredAn animal or plant that is in danger of becoming extinct - or dying out completely.. There are only 300 left in the wild. There are not many adults at all. So, chicks are learning from other kinds of birds.
A scientist called Dr Crates is trying to solve the problem. He is using recordings to teach honeyeaters their own song.
"We hope that if they hear what they should be singing, they will learn to sing it themselves," he says.
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Can science save the regent honeyeaters?
Some say
Yes! Songs are important for the honeyeaters to survive. We can help them by playing recordings. Soon there will be thousands once more!
Others think
No! Not alone. The honeyeaters are only forgetting how to sing because they are endangered. If we really want to save them, we have to make them safer.
Keywords
Regent honeyeater - A breed of honeyeater bird with black and yellow feathers. They used to be found all over eastern Australia. Now, they are mostly found in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
Endangered - An animal or plant that is in danger of becoming extinct - or dying out completely.
The birds re-learning their love songs
Glossary
Regent honeyeater - A breed of honeyeater bird with black and yellow feathers. They used to be found all over eastern Australia. Now, they are mostly found in the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
Endangered - An animal or plant that is in danger of becoming extinct – or dying out completely.