A 13-part series Narrator
David Attenborough
11:Repertoire, Duet and Mime
The male brown thrasher of North America sings a song containing over 2,000 different phrases; using this complicated aria helps it to occupy a territory and attract a mate. Other birds do the same with less complex signals; so, why the elaboration? David Dobkin of the University of California at Berkeley, Donald Kroodsma of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Sylvest Muldal of the University of Sussex examine how birds acquire their beautiful repertoires. Producer MICHAEL bright BBC Bristol