Drunk Birds

This is an interesting article! Scientists Discover That Drunk Birds Sing Like DrunksThe scientists used zebra finches. The finches long have been used as a model to study human vocal learning, or how people learn to communicate using language...The researcher was a scientist,Christopher Olson and his colleagues at Oregon Health and Science University . That seems true. Around where I live, the birds sing pretty much the same songs...or patterns, anyway.Is It Science?Edited by AdminPhat, : No reason given.

I put this in Is It Science by mistake, thus moved it back over here for another admin to critique and hopefully promote. Edited by AdminPhat, : No reason given.Edited by AdminPhat, : clarification

Unless there's something about this where opinions would break down along lines related to the creation/evolution debate, this seems better suited for Coffee House, or if there's some link to creation/evolution then it could go in Creation/Evolution In The News.

Thread copied here from the Drunk Birds thread in the Proposed New Topics forum.

I don't understand the topic.What is the relevance to human language abilities and human language learning? I would expect alcohol consumption to impair most of what the birds do regardless of how similar or dissimilar it is to what humans do. I also don't see how alcohol impairing two functions, one in a bid and one in a human, is evidence that these functions are in any way similar or analogous — it is just evidence that both functions are susceptible to the effects of alcohol, but this seems true for most functions for most creatures.In other words: animals can get drunk too. So what?I don't think it tells us much of anything.ABE: HAPPY NEW YEAR!Edited by Jon, :

What do you mean impair? I know I used to sing better, meet prettier girls, and fight better after a single guzzle of 'Early Times'.

I think he meant 'empower' ... but his typing was slurred ...

I sometimes allow my African grey parrot a sip or two or three of beer.He really likes a good lager!

When I lived on Hilton Head Island we had a large Pyracantha in the entrance and when the berries ripened and fell the Cedar Waxwings would gorge themselves and get so drunk they could barely fly.

does he do the lager stagger?(is that a lager day stint?)Edited by RAZD, : ...

we had a large cherry tree in MI and not just the Cedar Waxwings, but squirrels would get so drunk they couldn't stay on top of the branchesAnd monkeys have learned to brew their own ...

All I know is every time I pop a brew that bird carries on until I give him
some!!! It is hilarious.

African grey parrots are awesome!