Possible Clues:

• It's not the original speaker that is equal to decay
• Bird (that repeats?)
• Bird books presented to Catherine
• Macaw, e.g.
• The bird can mimic sounds
• Repeat unintelligently
• Raptor (anag.)
• The standard rubbish from a potentially good talker?
• Poll is standard? Nonsense
• Equal to decay, but one may talk of it