• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

how to attract Magpies? (1 Viewer)

G

gng75

Member
hi, I'm not really a Birder (not yet at any rate) so please forgive if I'm posting an unwelcome, ignorant or stupid message here.

I live in Melbourne, Australia, and have just moved into a new 2 bedroom house with a lovely back garden.

I have a special love for Magpies - I realise these birds are common, pests, aggressive when they have a nest to protect and all the other negative things people say about them - but I just love them. I'm a migrant and perhaps this explains my naïveté regarding these birds.

Two mornings ago a maggie landed on my back fence, chased away a couple of Mynahs, and flew off. Is there anything I can do to attract it and others back?

Thanks.
 
Well, I have loads of Maggies around and I saw them eat peanuts on the ground and a spilled-over bowl of cat food right beside the front door. I dont think there can be an unwelcome question.
 
Different kind of magpie I suspect GalwayBirder - the Australian magpie is different to our European species pica pica (the Aussie one is related to the butcherbirds, rather than to corvids).

Hi gng75

You wouldn't be a Collingwood fan would you...? ;)

Afraid I can't really help with attracting pies to your garden, but when I was in Oz I really liked them and thought them highly intelligent creatures. What I do remember about them was that they are not at all fussy about what they eat. Have you put any food out in your garden for the birds? As magpies are ground feeding birds, you might want to scatter food on the ground for them - it might work.

I'm sure some Aussie birders will be able to provide some better info than I can in due course.
 
this all started when my mum was living in a house with a massive back garden, and happened to encounter a mother Magpie who was particularly vocal. she fed her, and Mrs Maggie started coming back for more, and before my mum knew it, she had the mother and her babies turning up at 7am every morning, tapping on the window and asking for food.

And Stoggler - when I first came to this country as a young child, I was informed by kids in the playground that I had to "barrack" for someone. Once I figured out what that meant, I picked Collingwood. I'm not really into AFL football but I retain my nominal allegiance to the mighty Pies ;-)

Galway - thanks for the reassurance.
 
oh, and yes, I've put food out. unfortunately this only seems to have entrenched the rather ill-mannered Mynahs and some very fat pigeons... (mind you, my natural inclination is to welcome all creatures great and small.)

there's another very small, very dark bird with a yellow beak that appears from time to time - it hops around on the ground and kinda manically pecks at piles of leaves - I've noticed it because of the strange, rapid-fire percussion sounds emanating from behind my back door.

I really want the maggies to come.
 
Magpies eat just about anything...but I found pieces of bread is an attraction to them in my parts. They get pretty easily spooked around here too so you might need to hide behind something to view em.

I am still after the perfect photo of a Magpie, with the sun shining on the colors etc....
 
lmans66 said:
Magpies eat just about anything...but I found pieces of bread is an attraction to them in my parts. They get pretty easily spooked around here too so you might need to hide behind something to view em.

I am still after the perfect photo of a Magpie, with the sun shining on the colors etc....
Click to expand...

Imans you mean this http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=264286 while the original poster means this http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=24399

David
 
David...first, nice shots of all whomever took those. Second, yes....there is quite a difference....looks like a raptor eh? :)
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

A
Attracting bullfrogs to an outdoor turtle pond? Is it possible to protect them from predation?
Replies
0
Views
295
Avon Avians
A
G
Swan Experts Needed!
Replies
3
Views
621
PYRTLE
PYRTLE
K
Panama Itinerary Review
Replies
19
Views
1K
Chris Pringle
C
Will K
Does bird food attract rats and mice?
Replies
9
Views
1K
etudiant
E
D
Hello fellow nature lovers :)
Replies
10
Views
539
Julie50
Julie50

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top