They are found in areas where there are trees (used for shelter, nesting and roosting) and bare or grassy areas in which to feed. Magpies forage on the ground, turning over loose material, as they search for a range of insects, worms, spiders, lizards, mice and seeds.
They live in backyards where there are trees and adjacent open areas such as lawns, golf courses and playing fields. Fast facts: Most Magpies don't swoop people. 90% of male magpies won't swoop and females don't swoop at all.
"I would say no to dairy products, and if you have to feed other treats [give magpies] a teeny-tiny amount of oats and maybe a teeny-tiny amount of nuts in miniscule proportions. "I wouldn't recommend bread because it's a carbohydrate and it's not really what they're designed to eat in the wild."
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.
Magpies luckily possess sizable, sturdy feet that are full of scales. They often employ these feet in times of eating, as they're capable of tightly seizing food. They have tough limbs in general, and as a result are efficient at jumping.
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.
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.
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.
They are unlikely to be accepted by wild magpies and have little chance of pair bonding and raising their own families. Magpies must not be converted into pets. It is illegal to take animals from the wild and keep them in captivity.
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.
“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.”
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!
Deterrents for magpies
Half-full plastic bottles or CDs hung up in trees to scare the predators away. Magpies don't like the way light reflects from the surface. GuardnEyes scarecrow balloon, available from Dazer UK. It may be possible to deter them by playing a tape of a crow or rook distress call.
“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.
Magpies sing to reinforce their claim on their territory, mostly at dawn and dusk. Image: Michelle Hall. But while we are all familiar with the magpie's melodious carolling, we are perhaps less familiar with their other calls. Magpies use many different calls, including grunting noises, to communicate.
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.
In the winter, magpies usually roost communally in large flocks. In summer, magpies sleep on perches near their nest. During incubation and initial brooding of the chicks, either the male or female will sleep on the nest at night.
The common magpie is one of the most intelligent birds—and one of the most intelligent animals to exist. Their brain-to-body-mass ratio is outmatched only by that of humans and equals that of aquatic mammals and great apes.
"If you have to feed them, the best things are dry and wet cat and dog food." Nature provides the best food source of course, but our love of green pastures and manicured lawns has proven to be a win for the birds.
Males are typically larger than females and have longer beaks, while females are usually smaller with shorter beaks. The physical traits that allow for identification of the gender of adult White-backed magpies are located on their napes and mantles which are key areas to observe in the White-backed magpie.
It is recommended that you do not touch or pick up a dead, wild bird, but leave it in situ.
They can also feel, have empathy and even grieve for the death of a partner; magpies in particular, apart from parrots, can form long-term friendships with humans or their dogs.
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.