Quote:
Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus
The Magpie is incredibly intelligent, when ganging up on larger prey they use gestors instead of vocal signs to signal attack, like their cousins the Ravens/Crows they will drop hard nuts in front of cars to open them and they're the only known bird that recognizes itself in the mirror. Like Ravens, it can also use a mirror to find food.
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Yes magpies are very smart but they really don't have any natural predators that will keep their population under control, particularly in the city.
If a magpie would come to the feeder, take some of the offerings, and then leave in peace, I could tolerate them. But that is not what they do, especially if you feed suet, which I like to do in the winter during cold spells. Small song birds need that extra energy in the cold spells.
When I lived at Priddis, my husband made me quite a few suet logs. He would take a large piece of spruce about 15 to 18 inches long, (leave on the bark), and drill holes in the side. I would fill the holes with the suet that I made and then hang the logs in the trees around my property. I had so many birds there that I liked to have a variety of feeding stations.
This is what the magpies would do with the suet logs. First they would send in a scout. That magpie would hop around in the trees and when it felt things were safe, it made a certain chortle sound, and in would swoop a flock of magpies and they cleaned out the suet logs in 10 minutes, leaving nothing for the small birds.
Even a blue jay will not do that. Small song birds are afraid of the blue jay as well so when it would come, the small birds would go to the other feeding stations I had set up. However, the blue jay will take a few peanuts, eat a bit of suet, or stuff its cheeks with sunflower seeds and then leave.
Once I found this type of suet feeder, I never had as big a problem with magpies. (Well I will confess that I shot a fair number as well.) The magpie is not too fond of sunflower seeds in the shell...their beak is not the best for opening them. I found this suet feeder at Canadian Tire...not sure if they still carry them, but they definitely work for magpies. I found that a magpie will not hang upside down to eat suet. It will jump up from the ground and try to dislodge some suet with its beak, but it won't hang upside down.
https://www.urbannaturestore.ca/prod...RoCMmwQAvD_BwE
Magpies will decimate the population of small song birds if they are not kept under control. They eat their eggs and young. Be careful of your pets too as they will try to peck at their eyes.