Zany Magpie Believes He’s A Rooster And Viewers Will Wish To See It Over Again

Jun 23, 2020 by apost team

In this video from May 2020, that was captured by Samantha Jay Fernance in Broke, New South Wales, Australia, a magpie and his alert companion, a white cat, brace the chill and wait for the fullness of the sun rising over the horizon. The scene seems simple enough until you hear the cry of the magpie. His voice is a perfect mimicry of a rooster's voice. For those unfamiliar with the birding world, know that magpies are always keen on mimicking other birds and sounds.

With any picture of a farm during sunrise, one can't help but wonder about a glimpse of the farmer and his wife. Along with the standard couple imagined to lead this video clip, we come to notice one other player is missing from the morning theater. The rooster is gone, and, in his place, a pair of different early birds take over the scene.

Filmed by Samantha Jay Fernance, a resident of Broke, New South Wales in Australia, a magpie and cat are perched together on a wooden fence in the countryside. Without warning, the magpie begins to crow like a rooster! The visual and audio don't seem to fit, but there's a reason why the magpie sounds like another bird. Fernance told MSN, "We did have quite a few roosters at one stage which I’d say is why he crows."

The pair even have names—Morty the magpie and Omo the cat. Having cared for the magpie since it was a chick in 2018, the bird is tame and seems to enjoy living on the farm with everyone else, even stepping in for a rooster it seems.

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But the real question is how it can crow like a rooster? To understand this, it's important to know more about magpies—what kind of birds they are exactly and the limits of their physicality. They fall into the classification of the Corvidae bird family. Among other birds, they are direct kin to crows, ravens, and jays. This black-and-white caller in the video clip may be related to a European magpie. These birds are of great intelligence compared to other animals from around the world.

A wide range of cultural heritage exists for the magpie. In China, the magpie is popular, and is a sign of good luck and joy for married couples; the bird is common in Chinese paintings. As for national symbolism, the magpie is the national symbol and national bird of Korea. Meanwhile, European cultural heritage tells that magpies claim to fame is as a thief. They apparently go after shiny objects like wedding rings or small pieces of metal. This nature became the carrier for plots in folklore and opera.

According to the BBC, the truth about magpies isn't widely known, however. In the article from 2015, the predatory nature of magpies is revealed. It confirms a connection between cats and magpies, wherein both are predators of songbirds. This puts the two protagonists of the video clip in a much more similar position than initially thought.

As for the truth about mimicry, the Australian magpie mimics the sounds it hears inside its territory. For the magpie, mimicry is a matter of not only recognizing where it is but also who is typically found in that particular space. The result is that this bird has an auditory map of their territory. Mimicry may flush out the other birds and animals that live inside the magpie's territory.

Now that you know more about this talented and unique bird, perhaps it's crowing like a rooster makes more sense? If the good morning magpie has entertained your mind, as well as your funny bone, feel free to pass the joy onto a friend. Also, if you have come across a magpie in your adventures, tell us about it below.