Is This Guy Actually Trying To Fight Me? (Songbird Edition)
Song Sparrow Richard LevineHow to tell whether the sparrow heckling you from the next branch is just bluffing Okay, so let's say you're a sparrow, right? And you're just hanging out on a tree branch like normal, minding your own business, singing a little song, when all of a sudden your neighbor comes over, and he starts singing too. Which is fine, right? Except, get this: the guy isn't just singing any old tune, he's singing the exact same song you're singing. Obviously, the guy knows he's making things uncomfortable, there's no question about that. But is he just trying to ruffle your feathers a little, maybe impress some ladybirds with his boldness and wit before flying away, or are you actually going to have to fight this guy? To investigate whether this "song-matching" behavior is a sign of sincere aggression, or just the kind of sophomoric posturing it appears to...