A duck in Australia learned to say ‘You bloody fool’

Virgin Radio

8 Sep 2021, 09:11

Anyone who has ever watched Home & Away has surely, at least once in their lives, found themselves mimicking resident grump Alf Stewart with a cry of “Ya flamin' galah”. But it turns out that it’s not just us humans who imitate Aussie words of dissent. An Australian duck has been recorded repeatedly saying “You bloody fool” after hearing his keeper say the phrase.

The hand-reared musk duck, with the magnificently Australian name ‘Ripper’, also learned to copy the sound of his aviary doors opening and shutting.

Ripper lived in Canberra more than 30 years ago, and is thought to be the first documented account of ducks mimicking human speech.

Researcher Dr Peter Fullagar recorded Ripper all the way back in 1987 at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra. However, his recordings only recently resurfaced when they were found by Professor Carel ten Cate of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

The professor had been researching vocal learning in birds when he chanced upon a mysterious reference to Ripper the talking musk duck. He was, as we all would be, intrigued.

“This came as a big surprise... it remained unnoticed by researchers in the vocal learning field until now," Prof ten Cate told the university website.

"That makes it a very special rediscovery."

Of course, there are some birds, such as parrots, who are known to be able to mimic sounds, but regarding ducks talking, the professor said: “For this group, vocal learning is rare." 

"We know that songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds can learn to make specific sounds. This includes many species, but that is because vocal learning originated in the ancestral species of these groups."

The study paper says: “The structure of the duck vocalisations indicates a quite sophisticated and flexible control over the vocal production mechanism.”

Another case was reported from 2000 at the same nature reserve, of a male duck imitating the quacks of Pacific black ducks. There have also been studies of musk ducks in the UK mimicking other animals' sounds. We think you'll agree though, that neither of these are as impressive as Ripper’s repeated outbursts!

Apparently the clips of Ripper mimicking the aviary door being opened and closed and of him uttering “you bloody fool” were both recorded during Ripper's mating displays. 

Those were certainly some unconventional chat-up lines, Ripper!