Birds and Car Alarms - Chris S
Does anybody know if there are any UK birds that can imitate the sound of car alarms?

I thought I heard a car alarm keep going off this morning but when I went outside at lunch time there was nothing there!

Birds and Car Alarms - Stargazer {P}
Dont know about the UK, but in Oz the Lyre bird is a natural mimic...of anything it hears including car alarms, mobile phones etc. Can be hilarious!

StarGazer
Birds and Car Alarms - keo-the-dog
magpies are the only bird i know that could do this i believe they are in someway like a minah bird, although i am no expert and could be talking absolute rubbish . just something i remember hearing somewhere that magpies could speak or imitate other noises...cheers...keo
Birds and Car Alarms - kenl
There is a Blackbird at my work that imitates the sound of a truck's reversing alarm!
Birds and Car Alarms - Altea Ego
Friend of mine had a caged bird, a big thingywhatsit.

It could (and did) faithfully imitate the telephone, the ding the microwave made when it was ready, even the noise of mail coming through the letterbox.

They got rid tho.

It wasnt the phone, the microwave, the letterbox or even terrorising the 4 pet dogs that swung it. All were forgiveable foibles.

It was when the thing started to imitate the smoke alarm low battery warning. After many changes of batteries and smoke alarms to no avail they realised what was making the noise. It was smoke alarms and safety or the bird and possible death.
Birds and Car Alarms - Bromptonaut
Starlings are excellent mimics. Heard tell of one that could imitate a trimphone (this going back some years) and there's another tale of a footie game abandoned 'cos brother starling imitated the ref's whistle.
Birds and Car Alarms - Chas{P}
Yes, our African Grey parrot.
Birds and Car Alarms - Chris S
It was probably those two large black birds that are always on our offices's front lawn then.

Hoefully they won't decide to roost near my home!

Birds and Car Alarms - frostbite
Yes, our African Grey parrot.

>>

Another man with what looks like a permanent bad case of dandruff on his shoulders?
Birds and Car Alarms - martint123
There is certainly one or two round here that do a good imitation of both phones ringing and the 'bleep bleep' of setting an alarm.

I once went to a collegues house to pick some bits up and thought he was running an office from home - he'd bought a mynah bird that used to live in an office - phones, typrewriters, doors banging, typists yakking - amazing close your eyes and you WERE in an office.

Martin
Birds and Car Alarms - Kevin
Don't know about car alarms but there was a girl in our local pub who sounded like a MKI Cortina starter motor when she laughed.

Kevin...