R2-D2 Tweets

Droid-imitating birds test the limits of avian vocals

- By Kate Graham-Shaw

A LONG TIME AGO in a galaxy far, far away, R2-D2 beeped and booped—and now birds that copy the Star Wars character are giving scientists fresh insight into how different species imitate complex sounds. A recent study in Scientific Reports analyzed the vocalizations of European Starlings and nine species of parrots, including budgies, to see how accurately each bird can mimic R2-D2’s robotic whirring.