anyone know why magpies where doing this?

Question

this morning i watched from my window 3 magpies attack chase and bully another magpie. any ideas what was going on never seen this behaviour before

zack l
you are a pure waste of space coward you leave dumb comments but are 2 scared get a reply hiding your email address and keeping your questions and answers private you utter wimp

Answer 1

Magpies probably don't deserve the tough PR they get. Lots of animals, humans being one of the worst, indulge in a bit of intraspecific aggression. It's just magpies will take it all out in the open. I reckon they're one of our most interesting birds.

If a pair have a good territory they'll hold it all year. If it's a bit rubbish they'll often let it go and look for something better. Two of the magpies you saw will most likely be a territory-holding pair.

Non-breeding birds will form loose flocks, which birds will join and leave at will. These flocks are made up of males and females. Pairs will often form here before territories are established.

High ranking birds in these flocks will often fly into an established territory to test the holders by trying to intiate a response. The territory holder won't take this lightly and usually a ruccous will break out. Usually this is a lot of noise (the familiar chak-chak call) and chasing. Magpies from all around are drawn to this a bit like children in a playground and the group can get pretty big. This is known as a 'Ceremonial Gathering'. No really!

Usually the intruder is seen off but he'll have picked up enough info' to know if it's worth trying again and after a few goes he may succeed in establishing a small territory on the edge. Much more rarely he'll judge it completely wrong and get a bit of a hiding. Unfortunately, often the victim is a less experienced individual who was only there as a spectator but didn't scarper quickly enough when the protagonist did.

If the territory holding male dies or is very ill or injured a similar intrusion occurs but then it is more likely to be the non-breeding males fighting and they are unlikely to let the injured male of lightly. Even here they'll already have a good idea who the toughest individual is within their group.

Usually the noise and action makes these gatherings look more violent than they are. I've seen scuffles where the loser had lost nearly all his flight feathers so he couldn't take to the air. I've also read about fights that result in death and cannibalism but never seen this.

I know they don't help themselves but magpies are fascinating birds and gardens would be duller places without them.

Answer 2

I like magpies I seen two attacking a bird I have never seen before in my garden it was brown with blue feathers on its head and at the end of the tail it was the same size as the magpies too it was a lovely looking bird and I can not find what bird it is in the book it was most like sparrowhalk but I don't think it was this
Well the magpies where gunning for it I have a range of birds that visit
A Robin 6magpies 3wood pigeons ,normal pigeon alone for some reason sparrows thrush thousands of starlings 3 blue **** and 6 turtle doves probly more but that's what groups they come in its lovely to watch on a rainy day there really getting to work oh and 2 blackbirds I love these

Answer 3

hi 0 sure Steph i visit respond to the magpies did brilliantly i presumed after the togonator blasted us forward we would push on and fill our boots, regrettably to no longer be the gang have been in the back of their group for as quickly as, and this blended with some detached refereeing and below one hundred% application from The Arsenal meant that the a million-a million became into in all danger the main suitable result Almunia had an excellent game and became into no longer at fault for the purpose is shell traveling flow into opposite at the instant? so nicely performed the Magpie's you look greater like Bolton now

Answer 4

when an outsider tries to join the group the group will not allow him in and chase him away, that is most likely what you saw. When the lead male bird of a group of magpies gets old, sick or dies an outsider is allowed in to take his place ..I guess thats why the outsiders keep trying.
the magpies I feed get on well with all the other birds that come for a feed except for the crows, they scare everything away

Answer 5

Sometimes you will see several magpies attack and even kill another, It is referred to as a court of magpies.

Answer 6

I once saw crows attacking and killing another bird on a roof of a house I could see from my back garden.

There could be a number of reasons as to why birds fight. Terrritory? Food? etc etc.

Answer 7

could have something wrong with it or magpies are just nasty like some humans

Answer 8

well it is mating season! but seriously, i know that some animals who are older will pick on the younger ones, becasue they want to be the ones that gets the females. or maybe the third one had all the food!!

Answer 9

magpies are nasty bullies, perhaps they couldn't find a squirrel or anything else to attack......or perhaps the victim had done something wrong or didn't belong to their family

Answer 10

i know they kill smaller birds, they are very big bullys of them but i would have thought this might have been something to do with mating or nesting etc.