Both male and female starlings invite researchers to expand on the classic explanation for mimicry. Sure, there is a role in pair-bonding, and males do seem to take the lead in using mimicry to attract a mate. But once the pair bond is secure, mimicry on both sides appears to be a way of maintaining intimacy between mates. Through the seasons of the year, mimicry continues in both sexes, even though males and females often split into separate flocks; it’s a form of connection and belonging among flock-mates, of environmental awareness and participation. I am certain that there is more going on
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“Both male and female starlings invite researchers to expand on the classic explanation for mimicry. Sure, there is a role in pair-bonding, and males do seem to take the lead in using mimicry to attract a mate. But once the pair bond is secure, mimicry on both sides appears to be a way of maintaining intimacy between mates. Through the seasons of the year, mimicry continues in both sexes, even though males and females often split into separate flocks; it’s a form of connection and belonging among flock-mates, of environmental awareness and participation. I am certain that there is more going on with both male and female starling communication and consciousness than we realize, but so much of this understanding cannot be learned in the lab, or even in the field, where we experience the habits of starlings in fits and starts. It can be learned only by the rare privilege of living in constant contact with a wild bird.”
