Penguin chick learns to communicate with the help of a speaker disguised as a bird

SAM February 04, 2020
African penguin chick with speakers hidden inside a cuddle penguin while learning its own language by listening to recordings of adult birds. See SWNS story SWPLpenguin; A penguin chick at Living Coasts is learning its own language by listening to recordings of adult birds. Keepers at Torquay???s coastal zoo are playing the digital recording of the zoo???s colony of African penguins during feeding times while the chick is being hand-reared away from the other birds. Senior Keeper Jason Keller explained: ???We want this chick to grow up as a penguin and not think of itself as a human. Inevitably, hand-reared birds become imprinted ??? they respond to the keepers as if they are their parents. Penguins tend to lose this imprinting when they reach breeding age, but youngsters can be mischievous and disruptive in the meantime.??? The sounds help get the chick used to the complex din of a penguin colony, and forge an association between penguin noise and food. Jason: ???We???re basically teaching it to speak penguin!??? Jason is trying a slightly different approach to hand-rearing, with fewer feeds and less human contact to give the chick a more natural start in life. The idea of playing the sounds of adult birds to chicks has been tried with other species, though there???s no conclusive evidence that it works. The recording of the zoo???s penguins is mixed with calls from a wild colony. Living Coasts is home to 12 macaroni penguins and 65 African penguins. It???s hoped this youngster will join them within a matter of weeks.
The chick is being hand-reared, but senior keeper Jason wants him to think of himself as a penguin, not a human (Picture: Living Coasts / SWNS)

A penguin chick who’s being hand-reared is learning to communicate with the help of a new pal – a speaker nestled inside a toy penguin.

The little fluffball is being played the sounds of penguins at feeding times over a bird-shaped speaker so he can learn to talk to other penguins.

This is so he doesn’t get too accustomed to human talk and end up feeling distant from the other penguins.

The chick is being hand-reared away from the other 77 penguins at Living Coasts Zoo in Torquay, Devon.

Senior keeper Jason Keller is giving the baby penguin fewer feeds and less human contact so he can have a more natural start in life.

Jason said: “We want this chick to grow up as a penguin and not think of itself as a human.

PIC: APEX 04/02/2020 AN ORPHAN chick at a zoo is getting special lessons from keepers - in penguin. Keepers at Living Coasts in Torquay, Devon are playing the digital recording of the zoo's colony of African penguins during feeding times while the chick is being hand-reared away from the other birds. Senior Keeper Jason Keller explained: "We want this chick to grow up as a penguin and not think of itself as a human. "Inevitably hand-reared birds become imprinted - they respond to the keepers as if they are their parents. "Penguins tend to lose this imprinting when they reach breeding age but youngsters can be mischievous and disruptive in the meantime." The sounds help get the chick used to the complex din of a penguin colony and forge an association between penguin noise and food. Jason Keller said: "We're basically teaching it to speak penguin." Jason is trying a slightly different approach to hand-rearing with fewer feeds and less human contact to give the chick a more natural start in life. The idea of playing the sounds of adult birds to chicks has been tried with other species though there's no conclusive evidence that it works. The recording of the zoo's penguins is mixed with calls from a wild colony. Living Coasts is home to 12 macaroni penguins and 65 African penguins. It's hoped this youngster will join them within a matter of weeks. In the mean time the young chick cuddles up to a new friend to remind him of home. ** SEE STORY BY APEX NEWS - 01392 823144 ** ---------------------------------------------------- APEX NEWS AND PICTURES NEWS DESK: 01392 823144 PICTURE DESK: 01392 823145
He’s being played the sounds of other penguins at feeding times (Picture: SWNS)

‘Inevitably, hand-reared birds become imprinted – they respond to the keepers as if they are their parents.

‘Penguins tend to lose this imprinting when they reach breeding age, but youngsters can be mischievous and disruptive in the meantime.

‘We’re basically teaching it to speak penguin.’

The sounds used will help the chick get used to the sounds of a penguin colony and create an association between these noises and food.

African penguin chick with speakers hidden inside a cuddle penguin while learning its own language by listening to recordings of adult birds. See SWNS story SWPLpenguin; A penguin chick at Living Coasts is learning its own language by listening to recordings of adult birds. Keepers at Torquay???s coastal zoo are playing the digital recording of the zoo???s colony of African penguins during feeding times while the chick is being hand-reared away from the other birds. Senior Keeper Jason Keller explained: ???We want this chick to grow up as a penguin and not think of itself as a human. Inevitably, hand-reared birds become imprinted ??? they respond to the keepers as if they are their parents. Penguins tend to lose this imprinting when they reach breeding age, but youngsters can be mischievous and disruptive in the meantime.??? The sounds help get the chick used to the complex din of a penguin colony, and forge an association between penguin noise and food. Jason: ???We???re basically teaching it to speak penguin!??? Jason is trying a slightly different approach to hand-rearing, with fewer feeds and less human contact to give the chick a more natural start in life. The idea of playing the sounds of adult birds to chicks has been tried with other species, though there???s no conclusive evidence that it works. The recording of the zoo???s penguins is mixed with calls from a wild colony. Living Coasts is home to 12 macaroni penguins and 65 African penguins. It???s hoped this youngster will join them within a matter of weeks.
Bonus: it’s super cute (Picture: Living Coasts / SWNS)

The idea of playing the sounds of adult birds to chicks has been tried with other species, but there is no conclusive evidence that it works.

The recording of the Living Coasts penguins is mixed with calls from a wild colony.

If this all works out, the chick will join the other penguins and be able to fit in seamlessly in a few weeks.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/05/penguin-chick-learns-communicate-help-speaker-disguised-bird-12183997/
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