[obol] Can Rock Wren mimic Canyon Wren?

[david tracy]

About two years ago I also heard a Purple Finch mimicking the song of  
a Canyon Wren at my Dad's house in Depoe Bay.  As Bob described, the  
first part of the song was regular Purple Finch and then would  
frequently end by mimicking a Canyon Wren's song.  This was in May if  
I recall correctly.  We also heard it on at least one subsequent  
visit that summer.  What I thought was curious was where did the  
finch learn the wren's song?  Depoe Bay is a long way from any  
singing Canyon Wrens.  One possible explanation is perhaps the Purple  
Finch winters in a Canyon Wren's territory and learns it's song there?

Dave


david tracy
davect at bendnet.com



On Jun 1, 2007, at 1:59 PM, david tracy wrote:

> Subject: Re: Can Rock Wren mimic Canyon Wren?
> From: "bob altman" <baltman AT peak.org>
> Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 11:18:53 -0700
> A few years ago there was a purple finch at Julia Butler Hansen Refuge
> in the Lower Columbia River that would do a pretty good canyon wren at
> the end of its own song.  We heard it on several visits throughout the
> spring/summer and it would always do this, but always would do its own
> song at the beginning.  Maybe there was a purple finch (or some other
> capable mimic) coincidentally there at the same time as the rock wren?
>
> Bob Altman
> American Bird Conservancy
> 311 NE Mistletoe
> Corvallis, Oregon  97330
> 541 745-5339
> baltman AT abcbirds.org
>
>
> david tracy
> davect at bendnet.com
>
>
>
>