Magpies have complicated social lives. Most of them live in family groups, rather than in pairs, and many of their habits are easily observed. This ease of observation raises frequent questions.
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Apparent aggression from both parent birds to one youngster was observed last month in Wendouree.
The two adults forced the young one down on the ground and appeared to peck at it.
The youngster seemed lifeless until disturbed by human observers, causing the two adults to fly away and the young one to struggle to its feet and fly into a tree. There is only the one young magpie in this family.
This could be one of two things. Firstly, the parents may be trying to tell the youngster that it is time for it to move on and look after itself. Secondly, it could be part of the young one’s learning experiences.
Despite appearances, the latter is more likely. It is still slightly early for adult magpies to be driving their youngsters away. Also, when this happens, it is usually only one of the parents that becomes intolerant of the youngster remaining in the territory.
If the young one is a male, the male adult will try to drive it off; if it is a female, the mother will try to drive it off. A “time-to-move-on” attack by both parents is rare.
Magpies are playful birds, and the young ones learn by example. Sometimes, apparently serious behaviour, such as fighting, is actually playing or learning.
Play fighting can appear totally serious to the human observer, with vicious-looking attacking, pecking, squawking and appearing dead.
The majority of young magpies remain with their parents until at least March. Some of them, usually the males first, begin to leave from then.
The departure depends to a large degree on the aggressiveness of the parent. Most will go when they are eight to ten months old, but a few remain in the family group. Eight to ten months after August hatching would mean an autumn departure for most young magpies.
Many of us have observed full-grown young magpies begging for food when we think they should be capable of feeding themselves.
They may continue to beg when nine or ten months old, but they are not often fed when they have reached that age.
INSECT ALLURE
Tea-trees, angophoras and other summer-flowering native plants attract a wide range of native insects, most of which are not seen on spring flowers.
Flower-wasps, native bees and some handsome beetles are among the insects to be found.
