Cats and magpies (1 Viewer)

[meow84]

Hey there - just a quick question out of curiosity. Earlier a load of magpies started making a huge racket and were circling manicly - as it turned out, it was in response to my cat having caught a starling, which after a great deal of effort we rescued. I was just wondering whether or not the magpies were attempted to scare the predator off and save the bird, or simply to alert each other of a predator? Owen

 

[CJW]

Probably the latter, Owen.
Welcome to Bird Forum by the way.

 

[seb_seb]

I see magpies dive bombing cats all the time, particulary when the magpies are breeding.

 

[smeltmill]

Dear Owen,

Greetings. I hope you enjoy visiting.

Living in gamekeeper country magpies are a bird I never see.

Gordon Boreham-Styffe.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Owen,

Welcome to the forum!

My guess is that the Magpies were trying to chase off the cat, so that they could steal its dinner (the starling) for themselves - they're certainly not honourable enough to be wanting to rescue it!

Michael

 

[pauco]

hi owen,
and welcome to BF i think you will find michael is right there is no
honour among magpies just after the starling.
bert.

 

[Tony_InDevon]

Hi Owen, Firstly a big welcome to BF I’m sure you will enjoy this wonderful place. In reply to your posting, our cat is frequently dive bombed by magpies and they do a really good job of putting the “wind up her” so the fact she had caught the starling may have not had a bearing on it.

As other members have said, I’m sure they would have had their turn at the starling had your cat given up its prize.

 

[Euan Buchan]

I think when I was in Florida a cat attacked a Magpie I came home and found a dead Magpie in the front garden who knows what it was?? I heard a bunch of crows cawing on night and I could hear cats miawing no idea if the crows were attacking it but possibly for me they were getin rid of the cats for me nice of them mebe thats why I never get cats in my garden mebe theyre frighting inccase the crows attack them again