Magpie heard mimicking fire engine siren as over hundred bushfires continue to burn across Australia
A magpie in Newcastle of Australia's New South Wales can mimic around 35 species of birds, bark like a dog and neigh like a horse. The bird, named Marvin, can now mimic the sound of a fire engine as well. After all, he has heard so many of them passing by his nest. The incredible yet heartbreaking moment was captured on video and shared onto social media.
The region has been badly affected by bushfires in recent times with several acres of land burned and a lot of wildlife charred to death. While Marvin imitating a siren is fascinating, it highlights the desperate state of the fire season across Australia. There are currently more than one hundred fires burning all over the state of NSW with 60 not yet contained.
Marvin was seen in a video clip captured by one Gregory James who shared the video to the Hunter Valley Facebook page. Many social media users were shocked by the bird's song. Other social media users commented on the devastating circumstances that led to Marvin picking up on the fire engine sounds.
One user stated, "so sad this baby has heard so many sirens. We need rain so badly." Another added, "yes, they are clever but so sad this Maggie is replaying a siren call instead of its natural calls. The poor animals and people who have been through constant fear." A third user weighed in, "Amazing that this bird has done that...horrifying that there was the opportunity for it to happen."
Many others reacted in disbelief. Magpies have a very wide variety of calls, many of which are quite complex. The bird's pitch can vary and go across four octaves. The Australian magpie is capable of mimicking over 35 species of native as well as introduced bird species. They can also mimic the sounds of dogs and horses. They have also been known to mimic human speech if they reside in close proximity to human beings.