• 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.

Magpie? (1 Viewer)

Talon 1

Well-known member
Is it correct that these birds are listed as 'Vermin' and can be legally shot!

I know they are aggressive birds and i was told can Pick on the same bird until it finally kills it?
Nasty bits of work.

It apparently is Vermin because it does not kill to eat and survive unlike predatory birds. :news:

Can somebody clear this up for me

Apologies if its been brought up before.
 
yes they're "vermin" and can legally be shot and trapped (Larsen Trap) as can most of the Corvid family.

Under annual general license issued under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, magpies may be killed or taken by 'authorised persons', using permitted methods, for the purposes of:

* preventing serious damage to agricultural crops or livestock
* preserving public health/air safety
* conserving wild birds
 
Richard W said:
yes they're "vermin" and can legally be shot and trapped (Larsen Trap) as can most of the Corvid family.

... And they're actually my favourites overhere. I adore them, vermin or not. :bounce:
 
GreatHornedOwl said:
... And they're actually my favourites overhere. I adore them, vermin or not. :bounce:
You can willingly have the ones that are left in my garden.They top my list of most unwanted visitors in the garden!! They are hell bent on destroying every nest and chick in the area.
 
But how do you justify 'Vermin'? Squirrels are vermin but is it just that they ruin crops ? I always wonder how or why they are called Vermin they no not what they do they are just programmed to do it.
If mr Maggie Magpie stood up infront of number 10 and said 'I am deliberately going to ruin your countryside then so be it. But she isn't . but having said that if one drove the birds away in my garden i would shoot it so maybe i have a confused mind. But i can sympathise with farmers.
 
'Vermin' is simply a word in common parlance. It has no legal or scientific basis, and is thrown at things the speaker doesn't like. In the past (and I regret to say in some quarters still) it has been used of birds of prey, mustelids, owls, and many other species.

I think it is a mistake based on rather shaky evidence to demonize magpies.
 
I agree with David. I know that Magpies can cause problems for farmers, but they certainly don't seem to be having a great impact on garden birds in my area. We regularly see Magpies in our garden; we also have many young birds, of several different species.

I believe that it's a mistake to apply human morals to birds, or any other animals. They are neither good nor bad, they just are.

The farmers just up the road from here regularly shoot Magpies and Rooks - I hear the shots. But they do have their crops to protect, and I assume that they have a licence. I hope that anyone who is taking pot shots at any bird in their garden also has one, because they are breaking the law if they don't.
 
Linda Jay said:
I agree with David. I know that Magpies can cause problems for farmers, but they certainly don't seem to be having a great impact on garden birds in my area. We regularly see Magpies in our garden; we also have many young birds, of several different species.

I believe that it's a mistake to apply human morals to birds, or any other animals. They are neither good nor bad, they just are.

The farmers just up the road from here regularly shoot Magpies and Rooks - I hear the shots. But they do have their crops to protect, and I assume that they have a licence. I hope that anyone who is taking pot shots at any bird in their garden also has one, because they are breaking the law if they don't.
It depends on the power of the gun as to wether you have to have a licence!My husbands air rifle is a .22 and he does not need a licence to use it in our garden!!!
 
tracy said:
It depends on the power of the gun as to wether you have to have a licence!My husbands air rifle is a .22 and he does not need a licence to use it in our garden!!!

I'm sorry, I may have been less than clear. I was referring to the licence needed to shoot birds, not to own a gun.
 
you dont need a license to shoot birds like Magpies.

"authorised persons" simply means you are allowed to shoot on your own property, or shooting on someone elses with the permission of the landowner.

The Magpie situation is very tricky for me, this morning my wife saw two attacking a recently fledged Collared Dove in our garden, it got away minus a lot of feathers, I know If I had seen that I would have been angry.

if the same bird was attacked by a Sparrowhawk my reaction would have been completely different.

I suppose it's the difference between a predator eating to survive and Magpies targeting young birds that troubles me, but at the same time both are only doing what comes naturally.

my attitude towards them makes me a hypocrite ;) and I should see them as just nother bird, but to be honest I couldn't care less if the keeper here shot/trapped all the Magpies, but would be straight onto the Police if he did the same to the Sparrowhawks..... :h?:
 
Richard W said:
I suppose it's the difference between a predator eating to survive and Magpies targeting young birds that troubles me


What's the difference? What about Great Spotted Woodpeckers? They eat nestlings too, and are becoming more frequent at feeders. Shoot them too? Herons (which swallow birds up to blackbird/Jay size whole after dipping them in water)? Moorhens and Water Rail (eat sparrow-sized birds and nestlings)?Where exactly do we stop?

Why do people get protective over small birds? They've evolved to survive over millions of years, and despite predation they're still (mostly) all here. Funnily enough the only species that specialises in wiping out other species altogether is man.
 
What's the difference?

as I said very little, except that the Magpie is for the most part a scavenger and is an opportunist when it comes to attacking young birds.

I know I'm being a hypocrite & I really should change my attitude towards them, not that it would do much good around here being surrounded by shooting estates.
 
Richard W said:
you dont need a license to shoot birds like Magpies.

"authorised persons" simply means you are allowed to shoot on your own property, or shooting on someone elses with the permission of the landowner.

Yes, I apologise. I have re-read the information on the RSPB site, and I realise that I mis-read it earlier. I notice, however (and I quote from the RSPB page on Magpies and the law), that "Shooting must be well away from public roads and houses, so is seldom possible in urban areas".
 
In my opinion i would not shoot (i too have a 022) a Magpie if it came now and again but if it got to a case that it was regulary coming into my garden say once a day and killing other birds then the line has been crossed.

We talk about equalibrium and Mother nature well that applies to my Garden, all are welcome but if it is tipped in the Magpies favour then its curtains for Maggie.
 
I notice, however (and I quote from the RSPB page on Magpies and the law), that "Shooting must be well away from public roads and houses, so is seldom possible in urban areas".

is certainly true of the average garden, if a pellet strays outside your garden boundary and hits something/someone you're committing an offence, also worth pointing out you can't fire an air gun within 50 ft of a public highway.

really would have to be very careful, anyone not used to shooting a rifle would be best advised not to start shooting in their back garden.

We talk about equalibrium and Mother nature well that applies to my Garden, all are welcome but if it is tipped in the Magpies favour then its curtains for Maggie.

that's basically how I feel about them, and suspect many others do, but maybe that's down to their reputation preceding them, they've always been the thugs of the countryside.
 
Free said:
In my opinion i would not shoot (i too have a 022) a Magpie if it came now and again but if it got to a case that it was regulary coming into my garden say once a day and killing other birds then the line has been crossed.

We talk about equalibrium and Mother nature well that applies to my Garden, all are welcome but if it is tipped in the Magpies favour then its curtains for Maggie.

We have had magpies living in the trees opposite to us for many years and I've never seen one in the garden until this last month. He wanders about on the high garage roof and if he thinks no-one is about will swoop onto the dish that is there for the starlings.
I've now got a photo of him (see below) and discover that the bottom half of his beak is missing. Is this the reason he is visiting the garden - hoping for food which will not escape.? He will find it difficult to catch food won't he?
We have many fledgling starlings in the garden and he has never attempted to get one, although they seem afraid of him.

http://www.furandfeathers.co.uk
 

Attachments

  • broken beak 320.jpg
    broken beak 320.jpg
    62 KB · Views: 124
peckey said:
We have had magpies living in the trees opposite to us for many years and I've never seen one in the garden until this last month. He wanders about on the high garage roof and if he thinks no-one is about will swoop onto the dish that is there for the starlings.
I've now got a photo of him (see below) and discover that the bottom half of his beak is missing. Is this the reason he is visiting the garden - hoping for food which will not escape.? He will find it difficult to catch food won't he?
We have many fledgling starlings in the garden and he has never attempted to get one, although they seem afraid of him.

http://www.furandfeathers.co.uk
Here in Springwell Village Peckey we get the Magpies all year round.They use the tables etc but don't bother the other birds much.However, at this time of the year I am continually chasing them as they come in for the young birds ,eggs and tables.They can be a bit of a pain as there are a lot about but it doesn't usually stop us having a lot of successful young.On the other hand CATS are a big problem here and take many of the birds all year round with no good reason at all.Although that's a different matter it is important. :C
 
I find the whole business of anthropomorphising animals rather tiresome. If one is going to apply human standards to birds (or anything else) then we might as well give up. Because one species predates the 'sweet ickle dickie birds' it must be wiped out, must it?

If one is going to be moralistic, study the behaviour of doves, robins, dunnocks and so on.

Suppose I found it disgusting that Song Thrushes smash the bejasus out of snails?
 
David FG said:
I find the whole business of anthropomorphising animals rather tiresome. If one is going to apply human standards to birds (or anything else) then we might as well give up. Because one species predates the 'sweet ickle dickie birds' it must be wiped out, must it?

If one is going to be moralistic, study the behaviour of doves, robins, dunnocks and so on.

Suppose I found it disgusting that Song Thrushes smash the bejasus out of snails?
Quite so and imagine what people would think if worms where cute little furry things.

Mick
 
Warning! This thread is more than 17 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.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top