This is the moment a bird seeks relief from a garden sprinkler during an extreme heatwave in Australia.

Footage shows the creature staying close to the spraying water, appearing to enjoy the cool on January 28.

The filmer said: 'Noticed that a few magpies were in my front yard during this heat, so I decided to put the sprinkler on for them, a reminder that our native animals also seek water and cool spots to stay in during this heatwave.

'I think the baby is enjoying the water.'

The Bureau of Meteorology recorded temperatures near 50 degrees Celsius in several states, marking an eight-day stretch with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius across much of the inland. This is the most prolonged such heatwave in parts of New South Wales since the 1930s.

Meteorologists said a stationary high-pressure system has anchored over New South Wales, forcing air downwards, warming the air mass rapidly, and creating a heat dome at the surface.