“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.”
There are a couple of items in particular that are known to cause problems for birds and should be avoided. Mince: This might seem like a treat but it lacks nutrients that carnivorous birds would normally obtain from their natural diet of insects and the fur and bone of small mammals.
It is very clear that feeding human and dog food such as mince to wild birds often leads to nutritional imbalances, increases the risk of disease and causes birds to become undernourished and more susceptible to disease. This is because mince is high in fat, salt, phosphorous and low in calcium.
What do they eat? Magpies feed on small insects and animals that live on, or just under, the surface of the ground. A favourite is the scarab beetle, which is a major pest of garden lawns. Magpies will also eat frogs, small lizards, meat scraps and grain.
Avoid feeding magpies raw meat, cheese, and bread. According to a study on Applied and Environmental Microbiology, raw meat and mince cause great havoc to magpie's overall health.
Raw Meat. Many birds are carnivorous, but avoid offering raw meat in any form, including ground meats or meat scraps. These foods can spoil very quickly and will grow dangerous bacteria without proper storage. 3 Instead, offer fatty protein such as suet to give birds a nutritious and safe option.
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.
While it is not technically illegal to feed native birds in Australia and you are unlikely to be issued with a hefty fine, wildlife experts strongly discourage bird feeding.
While it's common to leave mincemeat for the laughing bird, it doesn't provide the nutrients kookaburras need. In an article published on Australian Geographic, mincemeat is described as being similar to “a late-night cheeseburger.” Kookaburras are carnivores, so feed on mice, snakes and small reptiles.
“We know that magpie's almost never swoop someone who feeds them. Whether you agree with feeding wild birds or not but the fact is the people who feed people in their backward never get swooped by magpie's or it's extremely rare.”
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.
It can cause sickness and deformities in young as high quantities of salt are present in bread and processed foods. Feeding can make them overweight and high quantities of fat are present in processed food and meat.
If the magpie is sick or injured it will need to see a vet before coming into care, if you are able to safely contain it, you can keep it in a quiet, dark, warm place e.g. wrapped in a towel in a ventilated box or carrier with a lid while you transport it to the nearest vet.
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.
Avoid any foods that are high in salt such as cooked and processed meats, crisps, chips, and salted nuts and seeds, and don't add salt to bird baths to keep the water free from ice in winter.
Some birds that could be considered largely vegan are: geese, parrots, doves, quail, sparrows, waxwings and finches. While these birds eat less meat they will adapt to the foods that are available to them and can sway between a mostly vegan diet and a more traditional meat and seed diet.
For Kookaburras, Magpies, Currawongs and Butcher Birds -
These birds mostly eat meat, not beef or mince, but whole spiders, mice and cockroaches. Their diet is the whole animal, including fur, bones and organs rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, all essential for healthy growth.
Kookaburras are not selective feeders. They feed on a wide range of food sources depending on what is available. They eat snakes, lizards, small mammals, frogs, rodents, bugs, beetles and worms.
They scrounge around for small invertebrates, and will also eat spiders, small lizards, moths, and some freshwater invertebrates – you can often spot them patrolling the soft ground along the shores of creeks and swamps.
Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a story yet to be told.
And since magpies can live between 25 and 30 years and are territorial, they can develop lifelong friendships with humans. This bond can extend to trusting certain people around their offspring.
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."
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.
Natural predators of magpies include various species of monitor lizard and the barking owl. Birds are often killed on roads or electrocuted by powerlines, or poisoned after killing and eating house sparrows or mice, rats or rabbits targeted with baiting. The Australian raven may take nestlings left unattended.