When you think of birds imitating sounds, parrots and starlings might come to mind. They're famous for copying human speech, car alarms, and even ringtone melodies. But what happens when you challenge ...

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, R2-D2 beeped and booped—and now birds that copy the Star Wars character are giving scientists fresh insight into how different species imitate complex sounds ...

European starlings were the best at imitating R2-D2's multphonic sounds because they can control both sides of both sides of the syrinx independently, the researchers say. Pexels Birds have shown the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Birds of prey typically fit into a common mold: they are ...