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.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/lukas-gawenda-bisons-on-grand-prismatic-spring-usa.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A spider at sunset in Predel, Bulgaria.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/krasimir-matarov-spider-from-another-world.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Parental care in parasitoid wasps Parental care in parasitoid wasps](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/thomas-endlein-parental-care-in-parasitoid-wasps.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Siblings watering newly planted seedlings in Rizal, The Philippines.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ysabel-victoriano-man-made-forest.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A leopard in its natural habitat in Karantaka, India.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nagarjun-ram-courage-doesnt-always-roar.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A farmer protects his family and animals from mosquitos in Gujarat, India.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/dimple-pancholi-life-and-the-environment.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A tarsier in its natural habitat in Sulawesi, Indonesia.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wolfgang-weinhardt-spectral-tarsier.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A plant takes advantage of the available shelter in a dilapidated house in Kolmanskop, Namibia.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/kelsey-green-striving-succulent.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A female blackbird holding a dried mealworm in her mouth in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/billy-clapham-the-suburban-mum.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/robert-cabagnot-a-shelter-designed-by-nature.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![An adult female Italian crested newt stationed below the fresh water surface in Piedmont, Italy.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/matteo-di-nicola-a-lively-belly-in-the-freshwater.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A sea turtle eating a jellyfish in The Maldives.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/boris-barath-meal-time.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com