If you see a young magpie on the ground the best thing to do is observe it. If it doesn't look injured and is not in any danger, leave it where it is, especially if the parents are around. If you don't see the parents, there is still no need to be concerned, just check on the bird a bit later in the day.
If you see a baby magpie sitting on your lawn don't rush out and grab it. Keep pets and people away and watch carefully to see if parents are in attendance. If the parents are attending to it and the chick is in no immediate danger, it should be left with its parents. For more information please read our birds page.
Magpies mainly eat insects, worms, spiders, lizards, mice and seed. The ability to forage is important for magpies, so introduce fledglings to this by: sprinkling wiggly worms on fruits, kibble and other food items.
A fledgling is a young bird that is starting to leave the nest but does not yet have the strength to sustain flight. These birds can stay on the ground for up to a couple of weeks, flapping their wings to grow strong enough to fly.
Baby magpies leave the nest before their tail feathers have grown. They live on the ground and are fed and protected (often by swooping) by the parents during the day and are hidden in undergrowth overnight. Members of the public sometimes confuse this act of nature with magpie babies being deserted or in distress.
Although baby birds do not drink, in our artificial situation, and when the weather is very hot, you may need to offer the chicks fluid. On arrival my chicks usually have their food dipped in full cream natural yogurt – warmed – a few times, then food is dipped either in the Wombaroo First Aid for Birds or plain water.
It is normal for fledgling magpies to fall out of the nest and spend a couple of days on the ground. The parents continue feeding them whilst they master the tricky art of flying.
If you think the young bird is in danger, move it to a safe place nearby, on a branch or off the ground in the shade. Make sure the parents can still find it so they can continue to care for it. Unless the bird is injured, it is best to leave magpie baby birds well alone, as its parents are usually close by.
As fledglings, they will sleep close to the ground, seeking shelter in dense vegetation to stay hidden from predators.
Within 2 years, the young magpies are forced by their parents to leave the territory. They join a group until they can gain a place in a territory as an adult breeding bird.
Raw meat, cheese and bread off the menu
Brisbane bird and exotic animal vet Deborah Monks said raw meat and mince, although popular, did the most damage to magpie health. "I wouldn't recommend raw mince on its own because it doesn't have enough calcium in it," she said.
Feed small birds (e.g. wrens and wagtails) up to 5 mealworms each meal. Feed medium sized birds (eg: butcherbirds and kingfishers) no more than 10 per meal. Feed large birds (eg: magpies and kookaburras) ten to twenty per meal. Avoid overfeeding: Live mealworms should be fed to wildlife as a treat.
“The main things people will feed them is mince or dog kibble but both are not good for magpies. Mince is too high in different nutrient levels - often too much fat – as in the wild, they are feeding on leaner foods.”
While it may be tempting to feed magpies your kitchen scraps, it's best to stick to their natural diet. This includes insects, worms and bugs. You can either source these from your garden, or purchase them from your local pet store.
If you wave your arms about or shout, the magpies will see you as a threat to the nest – and not just this year, but for up to five years to come. Walk, don't run. Avoid making eye contact with the birds. If you know of an area that has swooping magpies, put a sign up to warn passers-by.
Magpies are 'like dogs'
"They will form very long friendships, like dogs," she said. "They will introduce their young [to you] and they will be the most charming birds. "Even during the breeding season you can come close to them because they know you'll do no harm."
They may leave the nest eight to 12 days after hatching. Most baby birds stay in the nest for at least 10 days in the nest before flying off on their own. For birds like Baltimore orioles, bluebirds and rose-breasted grosbeaks, this happens typically between two and three weeks old.
If you've found a healthy fledgling: “Walk away from the bird,” McMahon says. Rescuing healthy fledglings is not only unnecessary, but it can be detrimental to their development.
Fledglings are fully feathered, but still have a very short tail and short wing feathers. The plumage of the fledgling bird is much duller, drab, and ragged looking than the adult plumage. They are able to sit upright, perch, and can hop or even flutter in short bursts.
The hoods of juvenile magpies tend to be fuzzier and brown-beige almost all over that slowly change to clearer colours as they reach adulthood. The females tend to have darker shades of brown in their hoods, while the males are lighter coloured.
Most magpies mate for life while some prefer to change their partners occasionally. If the male is relocated or dies during nesting the female will almost immediately take on another male who strangely enough will help defend and nurture the adopted chicks.
A baby magpie is called a chick.
Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an animal behaviour expert has claimed. Dr Bekoff, of the University of Colorado, said these rituals prove that magpies, usually seen as an aggressive predator, also have a compassionate side.
Magpies love:
Open woodlands with tall trees but no understory. Big, old trees which give them somewhere safe to build their nests and sleep at night.
Don't remove/destroy nests – magpies may re-nest which then extends the breeding (and swooping) season.