Do Magpies stash food?

[Gaina]

I have been watching a pair of magpies with great interest over the past few days.

I first saw them parading along the top of a conifer hedge outside our kitchen window and I assumed they were looking for eggs or fledglings to feed on, but there is definitely nothing nesting in there this year (actually there's nothing nesting in my garden for the first time in living here (15 years) which is odd...).

Anyway, they came back this morning and in turn, they filled their crops with food and disappeared into the conifers.

The interesting thing is that both birds varied the route they took away from the table and into the hedge with each trip. I am now wondering if they are protecting a stash of food....or maybe a nest. If it's the latter I will be really chuffed because I love magpies .

Any ideas?

[dmclean2]

Hi Gaina
Welcome to WAB
I am not exactly a lover of Magpies because they predate young birds and eggs, but have to aggree that they are clever birds and very colourful
they belong to the crow family,
Not quite sure about them storing food though,
Duncan

[ron1863]

Magpies store food by making holes in the ground with their beak, hiding the food and covering the hole with grass or leaves, usually within their own territory.

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by Gaina

>>>>If it's the latter I will be really chuffed because I love magpies . <<<<

(Shouldn't that be "choughed", Gaina? )

It would not surprise me if magpies did this with food they fancied, being the kleptomaniacs that they are!

It would be interesting to find out for sure though....

D.

[aeshna5]

I wonder whether they have some young in the hedge?

[nightshade]

Hi Gaina, I often come across caches in the garden here, some are Squirrel
(Hazelnuts and peanuts some are Woodmouse (allsorts of seeds Sunflower hearts and peanuts) but the majority are Magpie usually peanuts, Acorns, etc.

[Pam_M]

Originally Posted by Gaina

I have been watching a pair of magpies with great interest over the past few days.

I first saw them parading along the top of a conifer hedge outside our kitchen window and I assumed they were looking for eggs or fledglings to feed on, but there is definitely nothing nesting in there this year (actually there's nothing nesting in my garden for the first time in living here (15 years) which is odd...).

Anyway, they came back this morning and in turn, they filled their crops with food and disappeared into the conifers.

The interesting thing is that both birds varied the route they took away from the table and into the hedge with each trip. I am now wondering if they are protecting a stash of food....or maybe a nest. If it's the latter I will be really chuffed because I love magpies .

Any ideas?

I can vouch for the fact that they bury food! I had a Magpie the other day doing just that and I also witnessed this a couple of weeks ago! I was most surprised to see this behaviour! Very much like a Coal Tit stashes it's food when cold weather is looming!

[Gill Catton]

I think most corvids habitually cache things and in all sorts of places

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by dmclean2

Hi Gaina
Welcome to WAB
I am not exactly a lover of Magpies because they predate young birds and eggs, but have to aggree that they are clever birds and very colourful
they belong to the crow family,
Not quite sure about them storing food though,
Duncan

Hi Duncan,

Thanks for the welcome....I've been a member of this forum since 2006 but I appreciate being made to feel welcome .

aeshna5, I was wondering that too. I haven't heard any signs of chicks - in fact my dad made a special point of checking the hedge for nests not two weeks ago as it really needed to be trimmed (I stood over him while he did it as really don't like people faffing about with hedges at this time of year ). I did wonder if they were bonding in preperation to build a nest, but I just had a mooch in my field guide and it says they breed from April-June, producing one clutch but it's only the begining of June so I shall monitor their activities with interest .

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Magpies store food by making holes in the ground with their beak.

So thats the culprit Ive been wondering where all the freshly dug small holes in our lawn have been coming from, we have a pair of magpies that hang out in the trees at the end of our garden, they are quite often on the lawn. I thought it was squirrels at first as they seem to do similar.