Can anyone explain why a magpie would kill a collared dove, then eat only it's brain? The magpie wasn't disturbed and it didn't return later. I've seen them fly at pigeons recently but thought they were after feathers for their nests. Maybe they were after brains? Is this normal?
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Killer magpies! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Barmpot
- Start date
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Hi, Barmpot! I see this is your first post, so a warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!
'Fraid I can't help with your question about magpie behavior, but as soon as some of your compatriots on that side of the pond are up, I'm sure someone will be able to help.
Look forward to seeing the explanation myself!
'Fraid I can't help with your question about magpie behavior, but as soon as some of your compatriots on that side of the pond are up, I'm sure someone will be able to help.
Look forward to seeing the explanation myself!
Mickymouse
Ubuntu Linux user
I can't help you either but hopefully by posting this I will bump it up so it doesn't vanish before someone comes along who does know.
Mick
Mick
Steve Jones
Well-known member
A workmate recently told me he'd seen 2 crows kill a pigeon in the street. He said they dived-bombed their victim then hacked at it repeatedly until it was lifeless.
He did'nt see whether they tried to eat it (lack of a 'ripping' beak and talons would surely make this difficult...) but it makes you think.
He did'nt see whether they tried to eat it (lack of a 'ripping' beak and talons would surely make this difficult...) but it makes you think.
Stuart Watson
Well-known member
Hannibal the Magpie- could it be that the Magpie was suffering some kind of bug on the brain problem itself and picked on the easy target as bullies do? or perhaps Maggie was frustrated at being bullied by his own kind and vented his anger on poor defenceless C D eating only the brain as some ruthless kind of `message`.
Only ideas - but will be interesting to hear if others have witnessed this.
Any bird psychologists out there?
Only ideas - but will be interesting to hear if others have witnessed this.
Any bird psychologists out there?
alcedo.atthis
Well-known member
"Can anyone explain why a magpie would kill a collared dove, then eat only it's brain?"
Perhaps it misunderstood the concept of "brain drain"
Either that, or it had a bit of deja vu when surfing BF, came across this question, did not know the answer, so decided to pick the pigeons brain for said.
Regards
Malky
Perhaps it misunderstood the concept of "brain drain"
Either that, or it had a bit of deja vu when surfing BF, came across this question, did not know the answer, so decided to pick the pigeons brain for said.
Regards
Malky
In theory it killed it either to eat it or to remove it as competition (eg in this case possibly for food) or both. A hooded crow will kill a new born lamb by taking just the eyes and tongue - this is an excellent meal for a hooded crow - the fact that the rest is "discarded" is of no concern to the crow but seems wasteful to humans (though the crow may be able to return to pick the rotted carcass. Another theory, Magpies are very canny - if you were watching, even hidden, it may have been able to tell. Finally, i think it would be hard for a magpie to dissect a freshly killed collared dove...but sure - its a bit weird all right...
krazyhorse
Well-known member
Hmmm this is not the first time I've heard of this, another site I frequent a member posted some pic of a magpies work on a female blackbird, she said the firt thing it did was rip its head off
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Steve Jones said:
I watched a pair of crows pluck and eat the breasts and liver of a sandwich tern last year. One of them had just killed the tern. I didn't see the kill itself, but a quarter of an hour earlier the roost held only healthy terns. When I returned one of the crows was neatly cutting a strip of breast meat away from a freshly killed tern to carry it to a nearby hawthorn where it had its nest. It was replaced by its mate and the two took it in turns to butcher the tern.
Once they'd had the breasts and the best parts of the innards the rest of the tern was left to lie there until it decomposed. It was still visible as a dried up patch of dirty feathers weeks later.
There was no evidence of a lack of a "ripping beak". They could have been using scalpels the way they peeled the meat away.
I've also seen a magpie take an adult pied wagtail.
Food's food, I guess and if you are feeling peckish and a collared dove gets close enough to offer a snack, well.....
On a slightly different, but somehow similar subject, I was watching a black-headed gull chasing a sanderling all over a beach only yesterday. The chase was full of intent and several attacks were made before it was broken off and the sanderling went back about its business with the rest of its flock.
Alastair Rae
London birder
I often find headless waders which I assume had been taken by falcons. In America I've seen a merlin take several yellow-billed cuckoos and eat only the heads.
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I've had some thoughts about this myself actually. You know how some Eastern folk believe that eating a certain part of an animal will enhance the corresponding part of their own anatomy? Well, who's to say that magpies don't believe this too? They are very intelligent creatures, so maybe that's why they eat brains? And I've since remembered once seeing a magpie kill a frog and eat only the brain. Not the head, just the brain.Barmpot said:
Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read and respond to my question.
I watched a Peregrine kill and eat just the Liver (I guess) of 8 Leach's Petrel in a 30 min spell.
Vick2903
Well-known member
Magpies are pretty scavengers - but I would say a collard dove is being a bit of a pig - unless it had chicks which is probably the case!
Chased one down the road last year with a chick in its beak!
However if you think they are bad - Has anyone ever heard of Crows taking baby rabbits off the ground and flying off with them??? |=(|
Now that is mean mean mean - poor ikkle fluffly bunny wabbits V Big Bad Black Death swooping down. :storm:
Well this does occur as well so I have been informed by my parents who have witnessed it on more than one occasion! |=(|
Frogs excrete a slime that birds do not like so it is like shelling a egg really!
However at certain times of year like when birds are reproducing and in winter do birds not need a higher protein level?
But I am no expert
Chased one down the road last year with a chick in its beak!
However if you think they are bad - Has anyone ever heard of Crows taking baby rabbits off the ground and flying off with them??? |=(|
Now that is mean mean mean - poor ikkle fluffly bunny wabbits V Big Bad Black Death swooping down. :storm:
Well this does occur as well so I have been informed by my parents who have witnessed it on more than one occasion! |=(|
Frogs excrete a slime that birds do not like so it is like shelling a egg really!
However at certain times of year like when birds are reproducing and in winter do birds not need a higher protein level?
But I am no expert
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songbird6666
Registered User
There was a headless wood pigeon in the park the other day. I too assumed there was a hawk around, but maybe not so having read the above. There's always a few crows in the park.
Stuart Watson
Well-known member
Seems its not only Crows and Falcons with the killer instinct:-
RE: Metro June 3 2005 Letters page (Scottish edition)
" I witnessed something very odd the other day while at work in St.Andrews Square. A seagull landed on the opposite buildings roof with a flapping pigeon in it`s mouth. It stood on the pigeon`s wings and pecked it to death, then started eating it. Are Edinburgh seagulls turning into birds of prey? Has anyone else noticed them acting out of the ordinary? Andy, Edinburgh "
I`ll try to keep up with any responses to this letter - but as i drive to work i seldom get the opportunity of a read at a Metro.
RE: Metro June 3 2005 Letters page (Scottish edition)
" I witnessed something very odd the other day while at work in St.Andrews Square. A seagull landed on the opposite buildings roof with a flapping pigeon in it`s mouth. It stood on the pigeon`s wings and pecked it to death, then started eating it. Are Edinburgh seagulls turning into birds of prey? Has anyone else noticed them acting out of the ordinary? Andy, Edinburgh "
I`ll try to keep up with any responses to this letter - but as i drive to work i seldom get the opportunity of a read at a Metro.
Nightranger
Senior Moment
I have a theory that this type of behaviour may have a territorial significance and that the magpies may not be the initial aggressors. Given that magpies also do this with blackbirds and crows do it to woodpigeons, there is a remakable link. All three birds are aggressively territorial to anything of their size or larger so it is possible (and I am not saying that this is definitely what is happening) that the initial aggression was by the collared dove. However, a magpie or magpies are more than capable of overturning the situation and it is going to be pretty bad for the dove. It certainly does not make sense for a predator to be so wasteful after all the effort it takes. The brain of a bird (no matter how nutritious) seems unlikely to be worth the effort and beheading may have a more ritualistic significance as with other animals that kill missimilar species.
Ian
Ian
Ian Peters said:
I can't say I've ever seen a dove act aggressively towrds a magpie. They usually fly away as soon as one appears! And the woodpigeons have always been on the ground feeding when the magpie dives at them. Whatever the reason though, no matter how much we speculate we'll never know for sure will we?
Also, I always thought magpies took eggs and nestlings but I've seen them chase and catch young birds then fly off with them. Are they teaching their young how to fend for themselves, much like a cheetah catches live food for it's cubs?
Stuart Watson
Well-known member
Maybe the Magpies have learned this from another species.
Let me quote from an old birdbook i`ve come across
GREAT TITMOUSE
........"He is a somewhat quarrelsome bird, much given to fighting with rivals of his own species, and with other birds aswell, and has been known, not once but many times, to split open their skulls with his powerful beak, in order to peck out and devour their brains"........ :eek!:
The book is eighty years old, and i`ve never heard of or seen Great tit doing this.
Has anyone witnessed this recently?
Let me quote from an old birdbook i`ve come across
GREAT TITMOUSE
........"He is a somewhat quarrelsome bird, much given to fighting with rivals of his own species, and with other birds aswell, and has been known, not once but many times, to split open their skulls with his powerful beak, in order to peck out and devour their brains"........ :eek!:
The book is eighty years old, and i`ve never heard of or seen Great tit doing this.
Has anyone witnessed this recently?
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