Bereaved magpies

[treecreeper]

Magpies grieve for their dead (and even turn up for funerals) | Mail Online

An animal behaviour expert, Dr. Bekoff, claims he has witnessed a magpie funeral. On finding a dead magpie, two live magpies laid wreaths of grass before being joined by two others for a silent vigil.

If any WAB member sees a magpie in a surplice please forward details to Dr. Bekoff.

[loripo]

Lots of animals appear to do the same - try 'When Elephants Weep' by Masson & McCarthy.

[Beekeeper]

I have never heard of that, but one thing that was really sad was when i noticed a blackbird which was dead after presumably being hit by a car, lying in the road and witnessed her mate trying to drag her out of the line of traffic to the edge of the road.

Ian

[ChrisJB]

I once found a badly injured magpie (had flown into wires) surrounded by others of it's kind. It's the same when using maggies in Larsen traps, they draw in others to their doom.

Regards, Chris

[Susie]

I don't know about whether those magpies really were mourning or not or just sizing up the next meal but I do believe that creatures feel emotions.

I can not understand the logic in denying that other creatures feel emotions, we are, after all, just another animal and we can only have developed emotions because it is beneficial to our survival. If it is beneficial to us then I would have thought that it would be beneficial to other similar creatures.

I blame the whole them and us view of man and animals as being completely different creatures on Christianity.

[RobinP]

I've not seen a Magpie funeral but I've seen them committing mass murder on one of their own, not one of my favourite birds.

[treecreeper]

Originally Posted by Susie

I blame the whole them and us view of man and animals as being completely different creatures on Christianity.

I plead guilty to this. I was at a prayer meeting on Tuesday and we didn't extend the invitation to animals.

[Susie]

Are there no animals in your heaven? What a dull place. What will you do?

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Susie

Are there no animals in your heaven? What a dull place. What will you do?

Chat with the plants. My lawn will hardly let me get a word in edgeways, but a good mowing shuts it up.

[Susie]

Is it whispering grass?