In the natural situation the heat generated by the adult sitting bird and the young chicks is moist, our heat is a dry heat so include a container of water covered with net. 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.
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.
Baby magpies eat what their parents feed them. They are often fed worms and insects.
What do magpies drink? Magpies drink water and only water. While they'll get some water from food, especially during summer, magpies will frequently drink from garden birdbaths and ponds. So make sure your birdbath is regularly topped up with fresh, clean water - this is one of the best ways to support garden birds!
Unless the bird is injured, it is best to leave magpie baby birds well alone, as its parents are usually close by. Young magpies that are reared by their parents have a better chance of surviving and establishing their own territories than those which are “rescued” and then have to be raised by a wildlife carer.
Magpies are very attracted to water, just like any other bird, so getting rid of your bird baths – at least while trying to fight magpies – is an essential step.
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.
Starvation is often a problem as food may be being offered only 3 or 4 times a day. Most baby birds need feeding often, as much as every half hour.
The female Australian Magpie lays between 1 - 5 eggs, which she incubates (keeps warm) for around 3 weeks. Once the eggs hatch the young remain in the nest for about 4 weeks whilst being fed by the mother.
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.
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.
Incubation time: 20 days. The chicks are fed by their mother and have feathers and are ready to fly in about four weeks. Within 2 years, the young magpies are forced by their parents to leave the territory.
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.
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.
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.
Fledglings sleep at various locations depending on their species and environmental factors. Ground-dwelling species sleep close to the ground in dense vegetation, tree-dwelling species sleep on branches or in the canopy, and cavity-nesting species sleep inside cavities in trees, rocks, or artificial nest boxes.
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.
Avoid: Feeding Magpies and other wild birds, as they are very good at finding their own food and can become sick if they eat old seed or processed foods like bread. Riding your bike near a nesting Magpie as they are more likely to swoop bike riders than people walking.
Bread, mince, cheese, dog biscuits and other foods are. not a suitable replacement for a normal magpie diet of. invertebrates and other small animals.
"They suffer from high cholesterol if fed too much processed stuff," says Associate Professor Darryl Jones, deputy director of Environmental Futures Centre at Griffith University. "If you have to feed them, the best things are dry and wet cat and dog food."
Food for an adult Magpie or Currawong can include worms, lean mince or thin strips of meat. Crushed quality dog biscuits can be mixed with the meat. Wombaroo Insectivore Rearing mix or Vetafarm InsectaPro should also be mixed with the food, this can be purchased from most veterinary clinics.
Magpies belong to the order of birds called Passeriformes or perching birds. When they perch on a branch or bar, their feet automatically lock firmly around it. They only sleep in nests when they are incubating eggs in order to keep the eggs warm. There's much more protection under your roof in winter.
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."
“It's the birds responding to things they perceive as threats. That includes humans, dogs, cats, snakes and anything else the magpie decides is a threat to its chicks.” That might also include other magpies.