Have you ever seen a magpie in the middle of your lawn, sometimes with their wings spanned and their feathers fluffed? Well, they're actually sunbathing, which is one of the birds' favourite leisure activities. And it has health benefits.
When magpies have formed an attachment they will often show their trust, for example, by formally introducing their offspring. They may allow their chicks to play near people, not fly away when a resident human is approaching, and actually approach or roost near a human.
“Both magpies and pigeons average 10 hours of sleep per night. We found that magpies lost more NREM sleep under white light than amber light. By comparison, pigeons lost around four hours of sleep under both white and amber light,” Dr Lesku said.
Outside of mating season, magpies are still territorial but generally keep to themselves. In fact, their instinct to be territorial is what makes them so special! They'll stay in the same area, in the same suburb – even on the same street! – for their entire lives.
Most likely the birds are in your yard because they are able to find food there. Keep garbage in a secure container with a lid, ensure your compost is covered, feed your pets indoors and store the pet food inside. If you would like the crows or magpies to move on, remove their nests before young are hatched.
However, as the well-known rhyme shows, it is generally only seeing a lone magpie that is supposed to bring bad luck. We're not entirely sure why this is but we do know that magpies often mate for life so seeing a single magpie may mean it has lost its mate and therefore the chance of it bringing bad luck is higher.
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.
Interesting fact: It's true, magpies remember your face. They have excellent recall for faces and very long memories. So, if you've been swooped before, or even if you just look like someone they swooped last year, you're likely to get the same treatment again.
If you've ever thought magpies all look the same, in a way you're probably right. Magpies occupy the same territory for their entire life. Once they find a suitable patch, they will stay there forever — up to 20 years, Darryl Jones from Griffith University told ABC's Off Track program.
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. Hunting and eating insects. Mimicking other birds' calls, car alarms, dogs barking, phones ringing and even human voices.
The diet of a magpie
Their main diet in summer is grassland invertebrates, such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms and leatherjackets. In winter, they eat more plant material, such as wild fruits, berries and grains, with household scraps and food scavenged from bird tables or chicken runs, pet foods etc.
Befriending a magpie
If you have magpies around your home or neighbourhood that you would like to befriend, the first step is to let them see your face from a distance, trying to make eye contact with the bird. Gisela says you could also try and temp them with a little magpie-friendly food to show you aren't a threat.
Steer Clear: Foods to Avoid Feeding Magpies
Bread, for example, should be avoided as it lacks essential nutrients and can even cause birth defects in nestlings. Another food to be cautious about is plain mince, which contains high levels of phosphate that can result in calcium loss from magpies' beaks and bones.
Forget fake eyes and spiky helmets — if you want to avoid being attacked by magpies, just make an effort to be friends with them.
They believe the magpie will never inject any sort of bad luck if the person keeps the bird happy or shows utter respect. People are told that he/she should salute or wave at a magpie to show respect. Some also believe that greeting the bird also helps to fend off bad luck.
Make eye contact with the magpie.
Magpies usually swoop from behind, so they are much less likely to swoop if they are being watched directly. As you walk away, try to maintain eye contact by looking over your shoulder as often as you can.
Magpies have shown the ability to make and use tools, imitate human speech, grieve, play games, and work in teams.
While the savvy birds, who mostly feed on live foods such as invertebrates or nuts, seeds or creepy crawlies like earthworms and spiders, will often approach humans for food, Maguire says it is imperative that people refrain from feeding magpies unless they have a permit.
Magpies seem to be jacks of all trades - scavengers, predators and pest-destroyers, their challenging, almost arrogant attitude has won them few friends. Non-breeding birds will gather together in flocks.
In 2009, a researcher from the University of Colorado published detailed observations of four magpies at a funeral alongside the corpse of a fifth bird, and concluded that the birds were displaying humanlike emotions.
Magpies are able to recognize themselves in a mirror – a testament to how self-aware they are. These birds are able to recognize up to 30 different human faces and can mimic human speech, earning the title of one of the smartest birds in the world!
Magpies can remember faces and hold grudges. Researchers in Brisbane, Australia have found that magpies will remember facial features and target those individuals. The research involved an individual in a mask, coming close enough to nests to make the magpies feel threatened.
Bird Sadness and Grieving
Certain birds—jay birds, pigeons, and ospreys—will remain near where their baby died for long periods of time. Others—magpies and crows—hold “funerals” for their dead, walking in circles together around the fallen bird for several minutes.
Family life
Being territorial birds, up to 10 magpies will sometimes group together in a 'tribe' to defend their home. However, most territories are 'owned' by a male and female pair.
Magpies hold impromptu funerals and mourn their dead
The magpies will join in the squawking, the sounds getting louder as they continue to gather around the body. This noise will then fall silent for a period of reflection, where the magpies will walk around their deceased kind.