This Bird’s Villainous Cackle Is the Stuff of Nightmares

1 minute read

A video going viral on Reddit appears to show a bird cackling like a “super villain.”

Some experts say talking birds mimic sounds they find appealing, and parrots may rely on their strong memories to get the hang of something after a single listen. Parrots may use “vocal imitation” to attract a mate or find one another in a crowd. As Michael Schindlinger, an assistant professor of biology at Lesley University, wrote in Scientific American, “Maybe this is the best reason for these parrots to imitate: to better command the attention of a potential listener by producing sounds for which the listener already has a memory.”

See The Best Biology Photos Of The Year

Two Bisons on the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.
Two Bisons on the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.Lukas Gawenda
A spider at sunset in Predel, Bulgaria.
A spider at sunset in Predel, Bulgaria.Krasimir Matarov
Parental care in parasitoid wasps
Parasitoid wasps building clay pots in Borneo, Brunei.Thomas Endlein
Siblings watering newly planted seedlings in Rizal, The Philippines.
Siblings watering newly planted seedlings in Rizal, The Philippines.Ysabel M Victoriano
A leopard in its natural habitat in Karantaka, India.
A leopard in its natural habitat in Karantaka, India.Nagarjun Ram
A farmer protects his family and animals from mosquitos in Gujarat, India.
A farmer protects his family and animals from mosquitos in Gujarat, India.Dimple Pancholi
A tarsier in its natural habitat in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
A tarsier in its natural habitat in Sulawesi, Indonesia.Wolfgang Weinhardt
A plant takes advantage of the available shelter in a dilapidated house in Kolmanskop, Namibia.
A plant takes advantage of the available shelter in a dilapidated house in Kolmanskop, Namibia.Kelsey Green
A female blackbird holding a dried mealworm in her mouth in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
A female blackbird holding a dried mealworm in her mouth in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.Billy Clapham
A chick embryo in a hardened eggshell is sustained until full development in Rizal, The Philippines.Robert Cabagnot
An adult female Italian crested newt stationed below the fresh water surface in Piedmont, Italy.
An adult female Italian crested newt stationed below the fresh water surface in Piedmont, Italy.Matteo Riccardo Di Nicola
A sea turtle eating a jellyfish in The Maldives.
A sea turtle eating a jellyfish in The Maldives.Boris Barath

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com