Earliest reference to birds talking?

[tcsenter]

I am wondering how long it has been known that certain birds can mimic human speech, the oldest known reference to it? I imagine this would have been quite a shocking or impressive thing for someone to discover back when few (if any) were aware that some birds could do this. I might also imagine it could probably have been so impressive that they had neighbors, friends, or members of the community come over to see it, all of whom were equally impressed. And if it was long enough ago, someone likely attributed it to either a miracle of God, or alternatively, the work of Satan (e.g. goats walking on their hind legs or forelegs, and making sounds that vaguely resemble human speech = DEBIL!).

Anyone know of an early reference to talking (obviously captive) birds? e.g. if even in an old novel or something?

 

[Auric]

There must be a gap of thousands of years betwixt having known and the oldest reference. Settlements alone predate agricultural civilization to at least twelve thousand years ago and doggie domestication would pre-date that. So a close symbiotic relationship with other animals could likewise be presumed (note hu-mans are not a special constituent of such). All it would take is to stumble across an orphaned bird of mimic capability and care for it. Of course this would all predate said monotheistic superstition of a particular region.