Magpie filmed mimicking the siren of a fire engine

A magpie mimicking the sound of a fire engine in NSW has gone viral online.

A video of the bird, filmed at Newcastle, was posted online by Gregory Andrews.

While remarkable, the bird’s ability to mimic a siren is also heartbreaking as it highlights the desperate state of this fire season.

Click PLAY below to watch the amazing video

3AW Afternoons spoke with Sean Dooley and Dr Anne Fowler, who are both gurus when it comes to birds.

They agreed the magpie was an incredibly intelligent species.

“I’m not surprised, magpies are incredible mimics and have one of the biggest vocal ranges of calls of any bird in the world,” Mr Dooley said.

“They’re really accomplished singers.”

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