Oklahoma boy astounds classmates with his ability to do 50 different bird calls

Eleven-year-old Samuel Henderson of Choctaw, Oklahoma, is a born entertainer with a unique talent: he can perfectly imitate about 50 birds.

"Some people say that I swallowed birds," Henderson, who is autistic and has Tourette syndrome, told CBS News.

He says the most difficult bird to emulate is the barn swallow, but he can imitate anything from a blue jay and a tufted titmouse to a robin.

Since Henderson mostly practiced his calls alone on the playground along the back fence, many kids at his school had never heard his incredible skill.

That is, until the annual 2024 Nicoma Park Intermediate School talent show. 

Henderson really wanted to compete, but no student from special education had ever participated. The talent show would mostly consist of singing, dancing and band instruments.

His mother, Lori Henderson, was nervous.

"Because some kids can be mean," Lori said. "… It would just break my heart if that were to have happened."

But Lori says his teacher convinced her that Samuel needed to spread his wings, so to speak. So, he took the stage. At first, the other children didn't know what to think.

"It really sounded like there was a bird in the building," a fellow student said.

But as he continued and laid his passion bare, jaws dropped. The crowd came alive. And Samuel was not only accepted, he was admired.

"He's brave, he's really brave. It takes a lot of courage to get yourself up there," another student added. 

"The kids were roaring," Lori said. "I was so happy to see him living his dreams. My heart just exploded."

It's now been almost a year since that talent show, and Samuel now rocks the playground, teaching his classmates how to crow.