car alarm bird?

vinnychameleon · #1 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 01:34 PM

Hi guys. I was just wonderin if there is a bird in the UK thats call sounds a bit like a car alarm. I'm just wonderin as i heard wat i thought was a car alarm but it only lasted 2 notes and sounded close. I know what your thinking and no i am pretty sure it wasnt a car alarm

. Anyway i heard it again later on and again only for 2 notes. This is really puzzling me? any ideas?

.

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinnychameleon

Hi guys. I was just wonderin if there is a bird in the UK thats call sounds a bit like a car alarm. I'm just wonderin as i heard wat i thought was a car alarm but it only lasted 2 notes and sounded close. I know what your thinking and no i am pretty sure it wasnt a car alarm

. Anyway i heard it again later on and again only for 2 notes. This is really puzzling me? any ideas?

.

I think it's probably a starling mimicking a car alarm. They are very clever at copying and reproducing lots of different sounds including other birds.

Jules

yellowhammer · #3 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 01:51 PM

I had a starling in the garden that would mimic that really annoying Nokia ringtone. Really loud. All the time. Many is the time I'd be sat in the garden, wishing I had a blowpipe...

wyevilla · #4 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 01:54 PM

Starling, I would say. We've got one that goes "dring dring" just like our neighbours phone!

John · #5 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 02:20 PM

I have one that really caught me out when I heard it the first time. I had a Blackbird calling from by the feeders the other day but for the life of me I couldn't find it then clocked a Starling singing as the Blackbird song started. I watched this a few times to make sure it wasn't me getting my wires crossed but it definitely was the Starling.

I have heard him a few times since and it is an amazing take off of a Blackbird. I swear you wouldn't know the difference.

John

Reptilian · #6 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 02:49 PM

Our neighbours parrot used to mimic our telephone. So annoying!

But yeah starlings do quite well at mimicking sounds.

Kayleigh · #7 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 02:58 PM

I used to muck my horse out at the livery yard, the phone was over the other side of the yard. yes you've guessed it, I would come running out of the stable to answer the phone

only to see a starling sitting in the tree above the stable.

vinnychameleon · #8 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 03:38 PM

Thanks guys

. It really did throw me

.

sethandvonda · #9 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 09:46 AM

It could be a LYREBIRD. They are indiginous to Australia and are an amazing bird that will mimic almost any sound. Heres an amazing video of a LYREBIRD. Notice his perfect car alarm imitation. http://img.dailymail.co.uk/video/384Kbps.wmv

Pigeon feather · #10 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sethandvonda

It could be a LYREBIRD. They are indiginous to Australia and are an amazing bird that will mimic almost any sound. Heres an amazing video of a LYREBIRD. Notice his perfect car alarm imitation. http://img.dailymail.co.uk/video/384Kbps.wmv

Unless he lives in Australia I very much doubt it!

as people say it's most likely a blackbird or starling. Does anyone know if Robins can mimic? as I'm sure I heard one imitating the calls of a great tit, wren, blue tit and a blackbird all in the space of a few seconds

and then it carried on with it's familiar call.

REEVES. · #11 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 02:00 PM

We have a blackbird that mimics a car alarm and a jay that does a very good buzzard and carrion crow.

Steve S · #12 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 02:17 PM

The most amusing mimicry that I came across was in Yellowstone NP. I was taking some early morning landscape photographs when I heard a starling nearby imitating the click-whirr of a camera and motordrive. I guess that I wasn’t the first photographer it had come across.

Steve.

geordiejohn09 · #13 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 04:43 PM

I've also heard song thrushes do some good impressions of car alarms, although they often last longer than a couple of notes!

Cheryl · #14 (**permalink**) 31-05-2008, 05:36 PM

We've got one here that imitates what sounds like a mobile phone ring-tone. I assumed it was a blackbird but it could be a starling - I've only heard it at dawn chorus and I've not gotten up to check

Ferret · #15 (**permalink**) 01-06-2008, 01:51 AM

Yes, Pigeon feather, Robins are known to mimic other birds song in there song, other birds that mimic song and or other sounds are Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Marsh Warblers, Jackdaw, Jays, and I am sure others.