The other day my magpie friend had a nice feed and then wondered over to a section of my yard with several piles of garbage bags filled with garden waste, climbed the 2 foot high or so structure and settled at the peak, lying on it's chest with it's wings spread out all the way. It was laying still for a good ten minutes like this though I could see it breathing somewhat fast. She then became slightly restless, adjusting herself, shifting around on the bags with it's feathers all ruffled and elongated. Then she opened her beak and kept it agape until she flew home to her chicks. I really don't know what to make of it and searching hasn't yielded any answers. It wasn't a particularly hot day and I know she had enough water. Any ideas?
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Strange behaviour from a Magpie (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bird12345
- Start date
David FG
The Big Dipper
Sounds like 'anting'. Birds will often lie like this to allow ants to crawl onto and over them. The reasons are not (I think) entirely understood, but I think among them is the fact that the ants will rid the bird of parasites. I have also heard it suggested that birds simply like the sensation.
Thanks for the info. I thought that was it but now I'm not sure. She did the same thing today and when she left I inspected the area and found zero ants. Any given spot in my yard has more ants than the pile of garbage bags. As they are made of thin plastic and are left to sit in the sun all day, they get rather warm. Could she lay on them to attain warmth? Is that typical of many birds? What's strange is that it was already a fairly warm day to begin with - about 24C.
Do birds ever just stretch their wings and lay on soft surfaces for leisure? Or is it plausible she was testing the material for potential nest filling? I don't know.
Do birds ever just stretch their wings and lay on soft surfaces for leisure? Or is it plausible she was testing the material for potential nest filling? I don't know.
It sounds like she was just sun bathing. Many birds do this in the manner you describe, becoming almost comatose in the process. I see Mourning Doves sunbathe in this way in my backyard in Nevada almost daily during hot weather.
Google “birds sunbathing” & you’ll find lots of information on the subject.
Google “birds sunbathing” & you’ll find lots of information on the subject.
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