Magpies - A***holes

[bunchofkeys]

Recently a couple of magpies have turned up in the local area, not noticed them prior to Spring.
However they are a couple of aholes that are now going around a bullying other birds.

How can i scare off the magpies, but not scare off the smaller birds that are being bullied?

Currently have a couple of half coconut shells, the ones that are full of fats/bird feed, which the magpies have decimated.
Seriously, there is nothing left of one, which was put out last week. And they have now worked out how to peck at the other one, which dangles off a branch.

[paintman]

Worth a read.
https://www.thefield.co.uk/gardens/how-to-deter-ma...
We used to have a great flock of them - I counted over 20 together - a couple of years ago but now only get the odd one.
My wife has hung old cds on bits of string around the garden for a few years.
Whether it's that that has helped - or the local farmer has shot them all -I have no idea.

[Evoluzione]

Air rifle.

[Boosted LS1]

OP can you change the type of feeders?

[Gameface]

I like magpies. Very clever, like all corvus.

[okgo]

We used to use a magpie trap back in the day, I'm sure they probably still exist. Though I guess it probably won't work so well in a built up area...

[Bacon Is Proof]

Noisy bullying bds, good luck.

[Pjb2003]

Magpies also take food and store it for later thus depriving other birds.

I've bought these:

https://www.homebase.co.uk/peckish-all-weather-lar...
https://www.homebase.co.uk/peckish-daily-goodness-...

Larger birds don't seem to be able to perch on them

Edited by Pjb2003 on Wednesday 28th April 10:28

[paintman]

okgo said:

We used to use a magpie trap back in the day, I'm sure they probably still exist. Though I guess it probably won't work so well in a built up area...

Larsen trap?
Problem then arises of what to do with the ones you catch.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

I got rid of the bd crows this spring but I leave the magpies-mainly due to the noise and there only being a couple of magpies at mine.

[okgo]

paintman said:

Larsen trap?
Problem then arises of what to do with the ones you catch.

Ah yes, didn't know they had a proper name.

Well, yeh, 12 bore is what we did, but as said, not ideal if you live near other people

[Mammasaid]

Gameface said:

I like magpies. Very clever, like all corvus.

Are you sure

[Uncle John]

Hate them. Every year in my garden at this time I hear the screams of the chicks as they go around raiding nests.

Not a lot you can do. Nature can be horrible some times.

[Gameface]

Mammasaid said:

Gameface said:

I like magpies. Very clever, like all corvus.

Are you sure

They are definitely bird brained...

[VR99]

We have 3/4 that visit our garden on a regular basis..no idea if it's the same ones but they are a raucous bunch.
We have a lot of foxes too and the magpies aren't afraid to get close to the foxes if it means a potential free meal..it's as if they follow other animals about to scavenge on their leftovers.
I have no issue with magpies apart from how loud they can be..grey squirrels however are different ballgame and at times wish I had a rocket propelled grenade for when they are lurking about....after some experiences with them in the loft they are no longer cute furry animals IMO!

[rxe]

Put out a st tonne of bird food and nest boxes. ‘st-tonne’ for us is about 20 kilos a week. The magpies will be fat, dumb and happy. So will the small birds.

Provide plenty of next boxes with small entrance holes secured by metal plates. Nothing can get in these, not even woodpeckers, which are just as bad as Magpies.

Yes, you’ll still get small birds taken by magpies, but that is how nature works.

[BoggoStump]

SHOOT TRAP KILL KILL SHOTGUN AIR RIFLE

Ridiculous people on here. Feed them and they wont go raiding nests. They are intelligent birds and deserve to live just like any other pretty bird you like.

They will have young in their own nest too so think obut them before killing the parents. Dumb cruel sadists on here!

[Fasterthanyou2]

My neighbour has a greyhound that tore one to bits in his garden. Those magpies are vicious bds though. I think best to just try to shoot them.

[s2kjock]

There were always a few blackbirds that sang from building ledges and lampposts around where I live, and this time last year during lockdown one of the few highlights was watching a pair nest in a tree opposite.

Until the magpies started harassing them ........... really quite brutal and distressing to watch/listen to, and eventually I assume they got the chicks/eggs and the blackbirds disappeared.

Haven't seen a pair of blackbirds in the same place this spring

[hman]

You have little to complain about - meanwhile here in Aus.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-16/second-magp...