Dead Magpies keep turning up!? (1 Viewer)

Hi all. New member. I have the birds in my garden. Loads of sparrows in the hedge. visiting bluetits, coal tits and robins too. We also get magpies, jackdaws and pigeons. A few weeks ago I found a dead magpie at the bottom corner of my garden beside the hedgerow. I disposed of it and 2 weeks later another one in The same spot. Low and behold about 2 weeks later now and there are 2 dead ones about 5 feet up in the hedge right beside each other in the same spot. No other dead birds turning up. Baffled! Any ideas?

Someone shooting them, dick with an airgun?

andyadcock said:

Someone shooting them, dick with an airgun?

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It’s just a big hedged garden in an urban area. I can’t see it.

Predators have favourite spots to eat their prey, so the first two in the same spot would suggest a Sparrowhawk (eat on the ground if prey too big to carry off... will often fly off with the remains after eating half of it) or Cat. But you've not said that there were feathers everywhere, or other signs of a struggle, so any predator is unlikely. Crows hate Magpies, and will kill any they can, but again, you've not reported any signs of a struggle, and Crows mostly club them to death with their bills, so it can be messy.

The two together in the same spot is odd, so only leaves a few options (one already mentioned):

• Someone is shooting them with an air rifle or catapult.
• They are being poisoned, perhaps from poisoned bait elsewhere.
• Someone is trapping and killing them elsewhere and throwing them over your garden.

I've ruled out them being killed in their nest/roost and falling to the ground below, as you've not described and signs of a struggle (birds tatty, bloody, missing feathers etc.)

(Magpies are a much-maligned species and are blamed for practically everything, including much that other Corvids do (Jays probably kill more fledglings than Magpies, but Magpies are nearly always blamed). OTOH, if you had Mice in your garden, Jays would mostly ignore them, Magpies would kill as many as were stupid enough to show themselves in daylight. So much-maligned and often misunderstood. They are just a bird, like a Jay, but not as "pretty".)

Great info, thanks. No sign of any struggle, feathers or injury. Next door does have a cat!? I have left the 2 magpies in the hedge and set out a trail cam facing them. Happy to share any resolution I get. Very strange, especially the 2 in the hedge.

Just a thought. Is disease likely? There is a tree above the hedge with a dense patch that could contain a nest I suppose. Could they be falling out dead?

I'm not aware of any illnesses specific to Magpies - I'd assume that other birds in your garden would be affected as well. You can check for things like wetness (will likely be dryish and sticky by now) around throat or under eyes or near ears (yes, they have ears ) - basically any signs of discharge. Will also look dishevelled if they've not been preening as often or at all.

Whatever happens, DO NOT handle the dead birds without taking precautions (wear disposable gloves... Tesco sell boxes of them for a couple of pounds). If there's definitely no sign of injury, I'd probably contact the RSPCA or RSPB to collect and test the dead birds. If the birds have not died of natural causes, reporting it may stop it happening again. You might also want to contact your local Wildlife Officer. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 covers all birds/animals, even ones that are unpopular, so harming these birds (depending on the circumstances) would be an offence.

I'd be interested to hear how it all turns out.

I’ll keep you posted. Cheers.

ZenMachine said:

I’ll keep you posted. Cheers.

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Same thing has happened in my garden. Found a dead magpie, no sign of struggle or injury. A few days later another one in almost the same spot. Again no sign of injury. I think they were a pair that are always in our garden.