Magpie attaking WoodPigeon

[mojofilter]

Not a very good picture due to the slow shutter speed and the fact they are both moving fast, but luckily I just about managed to get the moment of the magpie attaking the pigeon.

Just thought it might be of interest to those who are interested in such fauna...

 

[P@ul]

I’m impressed that you even got them in the frame. By the time I even think of taking a photo the subject has usually gone.

P@ul

 

[BorderReiver]

Good shot Mojo

Was the pigeon on or near it's nest?

 

[mojofilter]

BR, the maggies nest is just a couple of trees away in a larch., dont know where the pigeons is.

 

[JonnyP]

I saw about 6 magpies attacking another the other day, so I went over and intervened, should I of done so ?, it looked like they were going to peck it to death. Its all going on in the bird world at the mo, this evening I saw a couple of common terns attacking a herring gull and then a black headed gull, but the terns are starting to nest and were protecting their area................Jon

 

[Toddy]

That was a quick shot; well done to catch it

Along the side of my garden is a strip of woodland and the magpies are nesting in the ivy covering a birch tree. The squirrels, the blackies, the robins and the sparrows are nesting in the next tree along, and the ivy covering it is full of berries. The woodpigeons are gorging on these but their presense is driving the magpies nuts. No idea why Size maybe?

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[sxmolloy]

who won the fight, the magpie or pigeon? or was it all over too quickly?

 

[spamel]

I often see the crows having a pop at the wood eagles around here. Is this a territorial thing?

 

[Laurence Dell]

Members of the crow family are well known for 'mobbing' behaviour towards predatory birds, but I have never come across it towards non-predatory birds no matter how big they are.

I can only assume that it was territorial in defense of the general area around the nest.

 

[locum76]

its the crows arounf my bit that you have to watch for. recently i've seen them mobbing seagulls and raptors.

 

[Scally]

magpie's are one of the biggest predators to our song birds!!!!!!
pesky little things

 

[JonnyP]

I often see the crows having a pop at the wood eagles around here. Is this a territorial thing?

It probably is..........I often see crows having a go at herons and there are two schools of thought here, one is the territory thing, which I think is right, and the other is that the crows are trying to get the heron to drop its catch of fish, which I have never seen, has anyone seen this ? I once saw a group of ringed parakeets having a go at a heron too, wouldn't of thought they were after fish...............Jon

 

[moocher]

years ago i seen 2 crows attack a woodpigeon in a industrial unit in a town.it had something wrong with its head,some growth over its eyes or beak if i can remember.

 

[rapidboy]

Great pic.
2 have been chasing by brothers 2 cats since last week.
I sorted them last night and we found a big youngster under a bush in the garden.
Seems the parents had been protecting the young bird all week since the nest was destroyed by a neighbour.
The 2 parent birds had been chasing the cats all week but yesterday they attacked one cat on the garage roof.
Seriously cheeky birds

 

[Salix]

Damn Magpie robbed a Blackbirds nest of 3 eggs in my garden yesterday, wish I owned a gun

Mark

 

[Dunelm]

Members of the crow family are well known for 'mobbing' behaviour towards predatory birds, but I have never come across it towards non-predatory birds no matter how big they are.

I can only assume that it was territorial in defense of the general area around the nest.

Just last week I saw two crows mobbing a lapwing. It occurred over a field with little else in it except a large puddle/seasonal pond. No nesting trees for the crows, nothing really to fight over except leather-jackets and worms. Maybe they just do it for fun.

 

[gregorach]

From the BBC:

Grey squirrels and wild cats are "devastating" Britain's songbird population

However, no mention of that other major bird predator - the motor car.

 

[match]

Damn Magpie robbed a Blackbirds nest of 3 eggs in my garden yesterday, wish I owned a gun

Mark

I have to say I'm not that bothered by Magpies attacking nests - its their natural behaviour, and they don't, contrary to rumour, have a significant impact on the songbird population.

Essex Wildlife trust has a veyr good leaflet about the question of songbirds and magpies/other predators.

http://www.essexwt.org.uk/Leaflets/magpies.htm

Whenever people complain to me about magpies eating other birds eggs, I ask them their policy on eating eggs or lamb, or whether they have pet cats - the real killer of our songbirds