Magpies (& Corvids) - cunning birds of prey?
Jeff J Jones
Disclaimer: this is a bit gruesome.
I have witnessed Black-billed Magpie cunning and savagery in the past on my 1 acre lot in Teller County at 8,500’. A few years back, while working in my home office, I was alerted to an awful ruckus outside in late spring. When I went to investigate, I had found that a couple magpies had located a cottontail nest (small depression in ground dug by the doe) and were pulling the young (not newborns, but perhaps a third the size of an adult) from the nest. They would either taken them a few meters away or deal with them just a few feet away; and would then peck at them until they were either dead or incapacitated (I really couldn’t tell which); all the while carrying on an excited frenzy of magpie calls with each other. They would then pluck the fur, and partially eat/taste the victim. They were not satisfied with just pulling one out and eating it. But, they pulled more than a couple out and dispatched them all in this way.
Since January this year, I have had the joy of watching and listening to several dozen Evening Grosbeaks (EVGR) at my feeders. They seem to come and go over the years; mostly present in winter, and usually dispersed to breeding sites by this time in late spring/early summer. I have never had them around during breeding to my knowledge; but I quickly notice when they show back up with fledged young that they are feeding in July. This year is the exception! Beautiful male courtship dances with wings spread out wide, head thrown back and tail stuck up in the air. Male feeding prospective mates; mate guarding and all have been my privilege to get to watch this year. I believe about 2 dozen are nesting in the douglas-firs in and around my house this year, though I have not found a nest yet.
This morning while filling my feeders, I found the plucked feathers of a male evening grosbeak. No body and not much blood on the feathers; just what looked like a complete set of plucked body feathers. I wondered what might have caught this sick or injured bird and dispatched it. When looking out later, I see the apparently untouched body of a dead female EVGR lying on the ground. It was gone not too much later and I didn’t notice what might have come and got it, but assume one of the many, rather tame, foxes living in the area that frequent my feeders, mostly to try to catch a squirrel. Just now however, I looked out and caught the end of a brief struggle that ended in the gruesome death of another male EVGR. This time, the culprit was in plain view – a black-billed magpie. I didn’t get to see how this started, but this magpie was holding down the still-struggling EVGR and pecking at it vigorously. Soon the EVGR was done. The magpie stood on it and started plucking body feathers off quite briskly. But before done, it went to work decapitating the hapless victim. When completed after just a few seconds of effort, it picked up the head and flew off with it, leaving the body and feather pile in place. Back in just a couple minutes, it continued with feather plucking. Before completely nude, it picked up the EVGR’s headless body, flew up to a nearby branch – right in plain view, and proceeded to eat some innards. After a few moments, it flew off with the body in its mouth.
I believe two magpies are nesting nearby – but have not located a nest. I do remember them collecting twigs from my shrubbery earlier this spring; and mud from the ditch after a rain/snow. So, perhaps they are feeding young of their own with these EVGRs.
It is also possible that these EVGRs are not being incapacitated by the magpies themselves, but that perhaps they are hitting my windows (which happens on occasion) and the magpies are merely taking advantage of an already dead or stunned individual. But three window strikes in 24 hours would be very unusual. More like one or two all season is the norm for window strikes.
This, coupled with other events I have witnessed involving other Corvids (namely Am Crows), really makes you wonder where the boundary of birds-of-prey is drawn.
I reported this incident with the Crows back when it happened several years ago, but will recap here for completeness. At Manitou Lake near my house, several dozen red-winged blackbirds nest in the cattails in the marsh at the south end each year. One summer morning, I happened to be there just after sunrise to witness an event that left me amazed at the intelligence, brutality and cooperativeness of Crows. I was surprised to see about 20 crows quietly sitting along the edge of the cattail marsh in the ponderosa pines that border it. Birds had just started to rouse and everything seemed like a normal dawn. Then, with stunning synchronicity, the crows started dive-bombing the many nests located in the cattails. The raucous chaos of the crows and the response of the blackbirds broke the morning calm quickly. The crows seemed to dive-bomb in pairs. The first dove at the nest and drew the adult blackbird off the nest in hot pursuit to chase away the intruder. Quickly followed by crow #2 of the pair, snatching a freshly hatched nestling from the nest and flying away with it. This chaos lasted for several minutes and then it was done – the crows were nowhere to be seen. It is hard to say for sure, but in all, I would guess anywhere from 7 to 20 nestlings were snatched successfully. Many were snatched but then later dropped by a crow when one of the parent blackbirds caught up with it. The overall damage to the colony due to kidnapped young or those just dropped in the water had to be significant. These Corvids showed amazing cooperation and cunning, that I am sure to many folks is a surprise. It was to me the first time I saw something like this.
FYI
Jeff J Jones
Teller County - 8500' - Montane Woodlands
Karl Stecher Jr.
but of necessity fly across clearings. They are great meals for peregrine
falcons. The peregrines apparently consider the brains a delicacy (like
your post re. magpies?) and eat them first.
There was a post on some birding magazine or blog about 3-4 years ago in
which 3 red-tailed hawks killed and ate a harrier.
About 20 years ago I witnessed two rough-legged hawks work as a team to nail
a cottontail rabbit. One hawk chased him behind a woodpile from the right,
and the other hawk came around from the left. (Greenwood Village, btw)
Lots of other stories. Nature is tough.
Karl Stecher
Centennial
> vigorously. Soon the EVGR was done. The magpie stood on it and started
> plucking body feathers off quite briskly. But before done, it went to work
> decapitating the hapless victim. When completed after just a few seconds of
> effort, it picked up the head and flew off with it, leaving the body and
> feather pile in place. Back in just a couple minutes, it continued with
> feather plucking. Before completely nude, it picked up the EVGR's headless
>
>
>
> nestlings were snatched successfully. Many were snatched but then later
> dropped by a crow when one of the parent blackbirds caught up with it. The
> overall damage to the colony due to kidnapped young or those just dropped in
> the water had to be significant. These Corvids showed amazing cooperation
> and cunning, that I am sure to many folks is a surprise. It was to me the
> first time I saw something like this.
>
>
>
> FYI
>
>
>
> Jeff J Jones
>
> Teller County - 8500' - Montane Woodlands
>
>
>
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steven...@comcast.net
Hi All,
Many years ago in Wyoming I observed Gray Jays using a similar technique as the crows attacking Red-winged nests. Their target was a Yellow-rumped Warbler nest. One bird flew near the nest and was chased by the parent warblers. The other waited and when the coast was clear snatched a young hatchling from the nest.
Steve Larson
From: "Jeff J Jones" <JJo...@JonesTC.com>
To: "cobirds" <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 1, 2012 3:10:32 PM
Subject: [cobirds] Magpies (& Corvids) - cunning birds of prey?
but this magpie was holding down the still-struggling EVGR and pecking at it
vigorously. Soon the EVGR was done. The magpie stood on it and started
plucking body feathers off quite briskly. But before done, it went to work
decapitating the hapless victim. When completed after just a few seconds of
effort, it picked up the head and flew off with it, leaving the body and
feather pile in place. Back in just a couple minutes, it continued with
feather plucking. Before completely nude, it picked up the EVGR's headless
some innards. After a few moments, it flew off with the body in its mouth.
is hard to say for sure, but in all, I would guess anywhere from 7 to 20
nestlings were snatched successfully. Many were snatched but then later
dropped by a crow when one of the parent blackbirds caught up with it. The
overall damage to the colony due to kidnapped young or those just dropped in
the water had to be significant. These Corvids showed amazing cooperation
and cunning, that I am sure to many folks is a surprise. It was to me the
first time I saw something like this.
FYI
Jeff J Jones
Teller County - 8500' - Montane Woodlands