injured magpie :(

[WCZ]

I was pullling into the office car park and there was 3 magpies attacking one smaller one viciously

after the attack he was unable to fly and hopping around a bit, near the end of the day he was still out there and because there's loads of cats around I thought i'd bring him into the warehouse to try and keep him safe from them - brought him out a bowl of water and some chicken and when we left him last night he was drinking from the bowl.

unfortutently this morning I arrived to work and he has passed away

I am wondering what happened here, there was no blood etc but he was obviously hurt as he couldn't fly and why the hell were the other magpies jumping on him like that - was upsetting to see

[nordboy]

Choked on his chicken?

[WCZ]

nuyorican said:

Bless you for helping it.

Magpies, whilst beautiful and clever, are also assholes. It's scientific fact.

went to B&Q, bought a spade and gave him a burial today in the woods nearby

I don't think he choked on the chicken has I broke it up into small pieces for him

[ChevronB19]

nuyorican said:

Bless you for helping it.

Magpies, whilst beautiful and clever, are also assholes. It's scientific fact.

Agree. We had some owls that were suffering from what is apparently a common respiratory disease in them. Magpies piled down and pecked and pecked until they killed them. We saved a couple. But I guess nature is red in tooth and claw, and there is no doubt Magpies and other Corvids are pretty intelligent.

[RizzoTheRat]

Magpies are very territorial so will often fight intruders on thier patch. So much so that the usual way to catch them is with a Larsen trap, with one magpie inside so others will come to attack it and get caught themselves.

[Jasandjules]

Possibly just delayed shock. At least you tried to help, so well done.

[moorx]

Could just have been a stress reaction. Wild animals (including birds) are very susceptible to stress.

Well done for trying to save it, though, many people wouldn't bother.

I once moved a badly injured seagull from a road (it had been hit by a car). I still have the scar on my hand from its beak! In the time it took me to go into a nearby shop to get a box to put it in to take it to a vet to be PTS, someone else took it there (I know because I phoned the vet to ask).

I also rescued another seagull (a fluffy young one) from a chain-link fence it was stuck in. That one didn't injure me, fortunately!

[isaldiri]

As mentioned, corvids are a pretty vicious bunch if you're considered weak and not part of 'their' bunch. Good of the OP to have tried to help but sometimes I guess one forgets the natural world is a pretty ruthless place.

[rossub]

One less Magpie is not a bad thing. Devastating for songbirds during Egg laying and fledging.

[Master Of Puppets]

rossub said:

One less Magpie is not a bad thing. Devastating for songbirds during Egg laying and fledging.

Absolutely correct rossub, many people seem to try and hide from that fact saying .... ah but it's nature, the reality is that
because of humans the population of Magpies is way above where it would be if humans didn't feed them, either intentionally
or otherwise in suburban areas, meaning many survive the winter that otherwise would'nt, which then ultimately leads
to mass predation of songbird nests in spring.

All 3 attempts by our Blackbirds to raise young last year in our hedge were wiped out by Maggies, 2 at the egg stage and the 3rd
just after the youngsters hatched. The Dunnocks also got their 4 youngsters taken by them and they never re-nested that I saw.

What chance have they got with Magpies constantly raking the hedges from 1st light in the morning.

[Gas1883]

I found a pidgeon injured on our drive , I rang rspca who said take it to vets , I did but they said it was to badly injured so put it down .
No cost but loads of thanks from vets for making the effort to take him in , even wife was impressed .
I’m no pigeon fan but could just couldn’t leave him on drive in distress with blood pouring out of him ( and our cat hovering waiting to finish the job off )

[nute]

When I was a kid I used to see loads of Jays and only occasionally a Magpie. Now we have loads of magpies in the garden and only see jays a couple of times a year. Always wondered why this is.

[Silvanus]

Master Of Puppets said:

rossub said:

One less Magpie is not a bad thing. Devastating for songbirds during Egg laying and fledging.

Absolutely correct rossub, many people seem to try and hide from that fact saying .... ah but it's nature, the reality is that
because of humans the population of Magpies is way above where it would be if humans didn't feed them, either intentionally
or otherwise in suburban areas, meaning many survive the winter that otherwise would'nt, which then ultimately leads
to mass predation of songbird nests in spring.

All 3 attempts by our Blackbirds to raise young last year in our hedge were wiped out by Maggies, 2 at the egg stage and the 3rd
just after the youngsters hatched. The Dunnocks also got their 4 youngsters taken by them and they never re-nested that I saw.

What chance have they got with Magpies constantly raking the hedges from 1st light in the morning.

As much as magpies will take eggs and chicks, especially where there are unusually high numbers, grey squirrels can take far more getting into nest a magpie can't.

[Master Of Puppets]

Silvanus said:

Master Of Puppets said:

rossub said:

One less Magpie is not a bad thing. Devastating for songbirds during Egg laying and fledging.

Absolutely correct rossub, many people seem to try and hide from that fact saying .... ah but it's nature, the reality is that
because of humans the population of Magpies is way above where it would be if humans didn't feed them, either intentionally
or otherwise in suburban areas, meaning many survive the winter that otherwise would'nt, which then ultimately leads
to mass predation of songbird nests in spring.

All 3 attempts by our Blackbirds to raise young last year in our hedge were wiped out by Maggies, 2 at the egg stage and the 3rd
just after the youngsters hatched. The Dunnocks also got their 4 youngsters taken by them and they never re-nested that I saw.

What chance have they got with Magpies constantly raking the hedges from 1st light in the morning.

As much as magpies will take eggs and chicks, especially where there are unusually high numbers, grey squirrels can take far more getting into nest a magpie can't.

Absolutely agree both of them are voracious predators of songbirds, both need controlled, the greys aren't even meant to be here,
non native destructive vermin.

[Silvanus]

Master Of Puppets said:

Absolutely agree both of them are voracious predators of songbirds, both need controlled, the greys aren't even meant to be here,
non native destructive vermin.

Yep, grey squirrels are a massive problem, far more of an issue than many realise. Unfortunately they are cute so people aren't willing to control the numbers.

[rossub]

Rats with good PR is the description I remember.

In NE Scotland they are captured and euthanised to protect the Reds.

Should be rolled out nationwide.

[Mazinbrum]

Silvanus said:

Yep, grey squirrels are a massive problem, far more of an issue than many realise. Unfortunately they are cute so people aren't willing to control the numbers.

I’ve caught about 7 this year already, my garden has been squirrel free for at least a week. No more holes in my grass or bulbs all over the patio every morning to sweep up.

[gotoPzero]

Gutted today, been feeding a little robin for the last couple of weeks. A right little happy chappy. Would trot along the garden wall and say hello. Even got him his own little feeder near our kitchen window he would come down each morning like clock work and take the bird seed.

Today, I was taking some photos of him, looked happy as anything. Nipped to the loo and came back and he was on the floor dead. Literally 30 seconds before was fine.

The worst of it is I think he flew into our glass balustrade. If I had not put the feeder up at the window he would probably still be flapping around, home with Mrs Robin etc...