Bird in England Mimicking a Police Siren Sounds Just Like the Real Thing
There are some birds out there that are experts at mimicking the sounds they hear around them...so much so that they can even fool humans into thinking it's the real thing! Cops in Bicester, England experienced this firsthand recently when a cheeky crow decided to mimic the sound of a police siren that was so spot on the officers thought it was one of their own cars!
CBS News shared the video clip on Saturday, April 13th. The 30-second video shows a bird in a tree, which isn't very interesting until you turn your sound on and listen to the bird. It sounds just like a real siren and had everybody fooled!
Isn't it crazy how real it sounds? CBS News said in their caption that the sound was so accurate that some officers thought that their vehicles' sirens might have been faulty. Inspector Simon Hills described the mimicry as “so accurate” he initially thought it was a defective police car battery. "I came outside and looked up into the trees and I could see the bird up in the trees, clearly mimicking the sirens in a really professional way."
Commenters had fun with the story. @Nikkie laughed, "Imagine getting pulled over by bird!" and @Bonziiiiii added, "Boss: Why are you late? Me: The bird pulled me over again! LOL!"
Related: Parrot's Hilarious Imitation of the Snapchat Sound Is Completely Spot-On
Facts About Crows
@IceBreaker said, "It’s a mockingbird that’s what they do, they imitate different sounds." But according to news articles, the cheeky bird was actually a crow. I know that crows are noisy, but I had no idea that they imitated sounds, so I did a bit of research to learn more about them.
Turns out these vocal birds are curious by nature and extremely intelligent; in fact, crows, gorgeous ravens, and magpies are some of the smartest birds around. These birds can imitate human speech, voices, and other noises that they hear regularly. They can also remember faces, and a Pet Helpful article said, "Crows can remember the faces of the people who are good to them and those that pose a danger, so remember that the next time you try to drive them out of your yard. Although uncommon, there have been reports of crows attacking people who have posed a threat to them in some way." These are birds you don't want to mess with!
Many people (including me!) confuse crows with ravens. Turns out one of the biggest differences is that ravens are much larger than crows. Other differences include ravens have larger bodies and wingspans. Ravens' beaks (bills) are curved, different than the flat one that a crow has. And crows' feathers are completely smooth, while a raven's feathers around its throat and breast are bushier. Crows also have a higher caw than ravens do.
And if you think that a crow would make a cool pet, you're out of luck. "In the US, all migratory birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Although crows don't always migrate (only the ones that live in the coldest places do), every type of crow is listed on the Department of the Interior's Federal Register of Migratory Birds. So this means that it is, indeed, illegal to take, possess, export, import, transport, sell, purchase, or trade any crow or any part of a crow (including its feathers) or crows' eggs or nests without a permit." It's okay to admire them from afar, but not to keep them in a cage. If you're looking for a talking bird, a parrot might be a better option.
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