Imagine that you are taking a peaceful walk in the British countryside, when suddenly you hear the annoying sound of mobile phones going off all around you. Before you start looking for any loquacious human culprits, maybe you should look to the trees instead. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has found that British birds, such as starlings, are mimicking the noise of cell phone ringing tones. Mike Everett, a spokesman for the society, says that birds have long imitated manmade sounds from human whistling to car brakes screeching.

GLOSSARY:

starlings = estorninho (tipo de pássaro)

loquacious = falador, loquaz, tagarela

spokesman = porta-voz

culprit = situações perturbadoras

screeching = som de freada brusca