0:00:15.458,0:00:19.330
What bird has the most elaborate,

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the most complex,

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the most beautiful song in the world?

0:00:23.136,0:00:25.083
Well I guess there are lots of contenders,

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but this bird must be one of them.

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The superb Lyre Bird. There's one of them right here.

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[the bird is making lots of whistling and chirping noises]

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He clears a space in the forest

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to serve as his concert platform.

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[more different whistles and chirps]

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To persuade females to come close and

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admire his plumes, he sings the most

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complex song he can manage.

0:01:08.028,0:01:10.296
He does that by copying the songs

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of all the other birds he hears

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around him, such as the kookaburra.

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[imitates the call of the kookaburra]

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It's a very convincing impersonation.

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Even the original is fooled.

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[kookaburra calls back to the lyrebird, and they call back and forth]

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He can imitate the calls

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of at least 20 different species.

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[he is making more chirps and whistles]

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He also, in an attempt to out-sing

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his rivals, incorporates other sounds

0:01:51.298,0:01:53.943
he hears in the forest.

0:01:53.943,0:01:55.578
[sound of a camera taking a picture]

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That was a camera shutter.

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[another camera sound]

0:02:03.936,0:02:04.818
And again.

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[and a tuneful whistle, followed by the camera shutter sound]

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And now a camera with a motor drive.

0:02:11.946,0:02:14.192
[now the shutter sound is followed by the whirr of an automatic advancer]

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[sound of a car alarm]

0:02:18.057,0:02:19.913
And that's a car alarm.

0:02:28.912,0:02:33.361
And now the sounds of foresters and their chainsaws working nearby.

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[sound of a chainsaw revving, followed by thumps and buzzes and another chainsaw]

0:02:42.858,0:02:44.694
[more chainsaws, sound of water drops]

0:02:44.694,0:02:46.928
[sound of a hand saw]

0:02:47.051,0:02:51.097
[whistles and chirps]