"You're not hearing things, our resident lyrebird Echo has the AMAZING ability to replicate a variety of calls - including a baby's cry." Echo is a superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), an Australian bird named for the shape of its tail during courting, according to Britannica.
Lyrebirds are gorgeous creatures with an unusual trait–they vocalize like human babies! These aren't the only birds that make unusual sounds, but their cry may be the most troubling to hear if you don't know what it is! Let's take a closer look at the lyrebird and its unique call.
Bonobos, our amorous primate relatives, communicate much like human infants do, according to a new study.
Baby animals that are separated from their mothers sound a cry, but humans are the only ones who shed tears. (Stone/ Getty) Pet owners often claim their dogs cry. Darwin thought monkeys and elephants wept. But modern scientists believe the only animal to really break down in tears is us.
It's a lyrebird in an Australian zoo. What's so special about this one? Well the bird is creating noise (quite literally) for perfectly mimicking a crying baby. "Bet you weren't expecting this wake-up call!
"You're not hearing things, our resident lyrebird Echo has the AMAZING ability to replicate a variety of calls - including a baby's cry." Echo is a superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), an Australian bird named for the shape of its tail during courting, according to Britannica.
The bush stone-curlew is probably heard more than it is seen. Its call sounds like a wail or a scream in the night. When scared, it screeches – a sound similar to the screech of a possum. A field report from Brookton, Western Australia, noted that their call was heard in response to the cry of possums shot by hunters.
Porcupines can sound like babies in the dark, video shows | Centre Daily Times.
Male limpkins are well known for producing a repetitive, high-pitched wail or scream that sounds remarkably human-like when it wakes you up in the dead of night.
For elephant calves and human infants, crying is probably more out of stress than sorrow, he told 'Discovery News'. He pointed out that scientific studies have proven that chicken, mice and rats display empathy - feeling another's pain - which is an even more complex phenomenon.
“The red fox is quite vocal during mating season with females letting out a cry known as the vixen call. To some, this call sounds much like a young child screaming and can be quite unsettling.”
The Sheep Frog may not have any wool but it's mating call sounds exactly like a sheep's baaah. You will probably only see the frog during breeding time because they are fossorial, generally living in burrows underground or under logs.
Opossums are usually silent. If you hear one, it will be at night. These pests will make clicking noises when they're trying to attract mates and hissing or growling sounds when they feel threatened. Baby opossums make noises that sound like sneezing when trying to get their parent's attention.
The bush stone curlew
This is a nocturnal bird that screeches during the night, but if you come across it in the day, it will freeze mid-action and hold the freeze for as long as it thinks it's threatened. Fascinating, but it's cry is ghastly.
The distinct voice of the Kookaburra sounds like human laughing— some people think! They are carnivorous, preferring mice, bugs, small reptiles and snakes.
Sydney zookeeper captures lyrebird replicating the sound of a crying baby. A zookeeper in Sydney caught a lyrebird on camera replicating the scream of a baby.
The southern cassowary is known as the world's most dangerous bird. Native to the forests of New Guinea and Northern Australia, in captivity the bird displays extreme aggression.
Kookaburras
Native to eastern Australia and also introduced to the south-west and Tasmania, the Laughing Kookaburra is the heaviest type of Kingfisher and the country's most iconic bird.
Barn Owls don't hoot the way most owls do; instead, they make a long, harsh scream that lasts about 2 seconds. It's made mostly by the male, who often calls repeatedly from the air.
These calls can be heard during the evening and at night, and sometimes during daylight at the peak of the breeding season. The sound of the Sheep Frog is a clear bleating (like a sheep) of about 2 seconds duration, repeated at approximately 15 second intervals.
One of the most common fox vocalizations is a raspy bark. Scientists believe foxes use this barking sound to identify themselves and communicate with other foxes. Another eerie fox vocalization is a type of high-pitched howl that's almost like a scream.
verb (used without object), baaed, baa·ing. to make the sound of a sheep; bleat. the bleating cry of a sheep.
Great horned owls make a meowing sound that can be described as cat-like. Here is a video with some of the distinctive sounds of a Great horned owl.