Birds vs Artoo-Detoo: How starlings beat parrots at galactic sound mimicry

R2-D2 Meets the Birds: How Starlings Beat Parrots at Sci-Fi Sounds (Image: Canva)

When scientists played R2-D2’s famous bleeps and whistles for a group of birds, they weren’t expecting a concert — but that’s exactly what they got. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University decided to see how well birds could mimic the complex digital chatter of the Star Wars droid, and the results were both surprising and delightful.

Who won the challenge — starlings or parrots?

The study found that European starlings had a clear advantage over parrots when it came to reproducing the droid’s complex “multiphonic” sounds. The reason lies in their anatomy: starlings possess a syrinx, a special vocal organ containing two sound sources. That makes them able to produce more than one tone at the same time, perfect to reproduce R2-D2's layered beeps and trills.

While parrots can utter only one tone at a time, just like humans. Despite this limitation, they performed well with simpler “monophonic” sounds. Surprisingly, the star performers weren't the acknowledged talkers like African greys or Amazon parrots, but small species like budgerigars and cockatiels. In all likelihood, these small parrots outperformed their larger cousins by using intelligent imitation strategies to match the robotic sounds.

What does this reveal about bird communication?

The research shows how a bird’s vocal anatomy can shape its ability to mimic sounds. It also marks the first time so many species have been tested using the same complex sounds, allowing scientists to make direct comparisons. According to the team, studying how birds learn and imitate could offer new insight into the evolution of communication across species — even when the inspiration comes from science fiction.

How did citizen scientists help this study?

Much of the sound data came from bird owners and enthusiasts through the Bird Singalong Project. These recordings gave researchers a wider range of natural and trained bird sounds than they could have ever gotten before. By mixing public participation with scientific analysis, the study proved that valuable research doesn't always require a traditional lab. So while R2-D2 may belong to a galaxy far, far away, it appears the secret to his voice might lie closer to home — in the syrinx of a starling.