what do magpies like to eat appart from baby birds

[Bub-les]

Originally Posted by witham

we have alot of trees both in the garden and in the nearby area so have lots of nesting birds, we have a chicken feeder in the 'hen pen' with mixed corn/layers pelletts in it, and other assorted animal and bird feeders, there is always food out that the Magpies could take, yet in the nesting season we regularly hear the panic calls from the trees of the parent birds trying to attract the Magpies to draw them away from their nest, then the horrible squawking of the little birds as they are being ripped apart and the chuckling of the Magpies as if either enjoying themselves or calling others to the 'takeaway'. They seem to 'work' the area then move on the next even though there is a ready food supply in the garden so I don't think you can keep them away from the baby birds.

Thought I liked magpies but now I'm not so sure!
This conjours up some horrible pictures
Barbara

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by witham

we have alot of trees both in the garden and in the nearby area so have lots of nesting birds, we have a chicken feeder in the 'hen pen' with mixed corn/layers pelletts in it, and other assorted animal and bird feeders, there is always food out that the Magpies could take, yet in the nesting season we regularly hear the panic calls from the trees of the parent birds trying to attract the Magpies to draw them away from their nest, then the horrible squawking of the little birds as they are being ripped apart and the chuckling of the Magpies as if either enjoying themselves or calling others to the 'takeaway'. They seem to 'work' the area then move on the next even though there is a ready food supply in the garden so I don't think you can keep them away from the baby birds.

I do like magpie's but its the same at my Mum and Dads, every year the nestlings are taken by magpies or tree rats. Much to the distress of my mum.
She often phones sobbing saying another nest has been lost. My mum was anti culling anything but now would if it was an option. I am not sure what percentage of garden nestlings as a whole magpies take, but for the many species that nest in my mums large garden they seem to decimate their attempts.
Regards
Colin

[Sparrowlegs]

Most scavengers are a product of loss of habitat. A great deal more scavengers are finding it easier to find a meal near to man than in their own habitat where they are persecuted. The wild habitats of Britain are overrun by hunters - killing an estimated 75,000 pheasants a season. If you add up all the other 'game' on this list of available shooting targets it can go well into the millions.

Then you have farming, trapping, cars - the list of things out to kill nature in its own enviroment is forcing a lot of creatures to find its food in the back yards and gardens of where we live. As supposed wildlife lovers, perhaps it would be a better to tolerate and understand their predicament rather than the 'no room at the inn' approach.

Baby birds in quant little boxes and frogs in ornamental ponds are just a ready meal to nature, and a damn sight less risky than being blasted by a shotgun in their own 'back yard'!

So is it really any surprise that an intelligent bird like the Magpie has adapted its hunting ground to save it self from starvation or murder?

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by Sparrowlegs

Most scavengers are a product of loss of habitat. A great deal more scavengers are finding it easier to find a meal near to man than in their own habitat where they are persecuted. The wild habitats of Britain are overrun by hunters - killing an estimated 75,000 pheasants a season. If you add up all the other 'game' on this list of available shooting targets it can go well into the millions.

Then you have farming, trapping, cars - the list of things out to kill nature in its own enviroment is forcing a lot of creatures to find its food in the back yards and gardens of where we live. As supposed wildlife lovers, perhaps it would be a better to tolerate and understand their predicament rather than the 'no room at the inn' approach.

Baby birds in quant little boxes and frogs in ornamental ponds are just a ready meal to nature, and a damn sight less risky than being blasted by a shotgun in their own 'back yard'!

So is it really any surprise that an intelligent bird like the Magpie has adapted its hunting ground to save it self from starvation or murder?

I don't agree scavengers have just found it easier to live of mans waste and junk their diet is so diverse. Gulls are another bird which will eat anything from human waste at a sewage plant to fish and chips, but still thrive in their natural enviroment as do magpies. Loss of habitat however has affected plenty of less adaptable species. I notice you are anti shooting and farming from other threads. If you are a true vegan, and grow all you're own food and do not rely farmers then I have nothing but respect for you you have high morals indeed. I have to admit I have to rely on farmers for my daily meat and bread.
Regards
Colin

[Sparrowlegs]

Originally Posted by willing to learn

I don't agree scavengers have just found it easier to live of mans waste and junk their diet is so diverse. Gulls are another bird which will eat anything from human waste at a sewage plant to fish and chips, but still thrive in their natural enviroment as do magpies. Loss of habitat however has affected plenty of less adaptable species. I notice you are anti shooting and farming from other threads. If you are a true vegan, and grow all you're own food and do not rely farmers then I have nothing but respect for you you have high morals indeed. I have to admit I have to rely on farmers for my daily meat and bread.
Regards
Colin

Hello Colin

I would never rely on a human being for anything! and I am not anti shooting or anti farming!! unless it involves the selfish, mindless and unnecessary killing of animals.

Gulls and Magpies only rely on the waste products of humans because we leave it out for them. If we are to condemn any creature for 'waste material', do you not think that Humans are by far the worst culprits? How much of natures waste products affect us in the way it affects animals?

[squeek]

well ive looked up this thread b/c i just watched a wildlife program that mentioned magpies taking baby birds, i had heard this before but not having proof and that also i heard Bill Oddie say they dont, or that he had never seen this too, i wasnt sure it really did happen. but now im not so sure.

well we always feed all our wildlife in the garden.
so yep we have many maggies and off course many baby birds.

there doesnt appear to be a clear answer to this problem, so i will just keep doing what im doing, that is feed , feed and feed as much as i can so food is mostly always available, every wild creature has a right to life, i tink more research should be done to find answers to these problems.

[SheffieldLass]

Magpies also like to eat dog excrement ... they perform a useful clean up service .... My neighbour's opinion on magpies was raised significantly when she discovered that information ...

It is a combination of reasons why magpies have moved into towns and cities in big numbers ... our takeaway waste on the streets, plus the aforementioned additional food resource giving easy pickings and allowing high densities, and because the trees planted by the Victorians in our cities are now mature and provide an excellent nesting habitat.

[Nickynockynoonoo]

I thought magpies took dog excrement to build nests with.

[Biomotors]

I would have thought that if protecting other nesting birds is your motivation for feeding magpies, and if they do predate on other birds' nests, then providing extra food for Magpies seems counter-productive, as this will help secure the livelihoods of the Magpies and encourage further breeding by them, surely? I doubt whether any amount of food you could put out for a scavenger would ever discourage it from taking a free lunch elsewhere.

If you want a healthy population of tits, finches, sparrows & co., then surely, feed them and not the magpies.

Dominic

[rossbells]

I watched a magpie mount and torture a baby collared dove and tear it too pieces a few months back it was gruesome.