Get 'em while they're not too hot. Starlings and song thrushes, apparently. And that's just the start. To the surprise of bird watchers, tech-savvy avian mimics have started incorporating the screeching tones of mobile phones into their courtship rituals. And experts expect the telco trend first noticed in England to soon spread to Asia.
Mimicry is a key part of mating for many birds.
For starlings, for instance, the more varied the repertoire, the more likely the male is to succeed. Normally they mimic high-pitched sounds, so a mobile phone ring would be a perfect candidate. No word yet on how it's going over with the ladies. It's hard to be sexy when you're 117 years old especially when you're competing with glamorous women and the razzmatazz of the latest Internet technology. The unashamedly garish online betting parlor offers 24-hour wagering from the Caribbean tax haven of Antigua, and shows live video of scantily clad female croupiers.