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From: JTHOMAS@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Do birds know who feeds them?
Message-ID: <2E99FE43E0000D7F@ducvax.auburn.edu>
Date: 3 Jun 91 18:23:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 14


I can testify to the fact that our mockingburds know us & us alone.  When we
leave the house they wait & squawk for   (birds)  their raisins.  They know our
cars & will even peer in the house if they feel we've gone too long without
providing their snack.  Last year the parents brought the baby mockingbirds
once they were old enough.  When we leave town our dog/cat sitter has to feed
the birds but they don't come until he's far from the food.  They are quite 
tame with us allowing us to get within a couple of feet from them.  It all
started when I was mocking them back one day.  Now I whistle a certain phrase
& they fly to their food spot & wait (unless of course, they initiated the
feeding with dirty looks & squawking).  I think it's really neat that these
most independent of birds have become almost pets.  We often sit on the porch 
& whistle to get them to whistle back.  Invariably they improve the song & add
a few fanciful notes too.