# killing each other --- magpies



## connor 1213

ok let me set the scene

i was out with my girlfriend and then i hear these birds going MENTAL so me being me goes and evestagates with to find 2 magpies fighting with another one so i scared them of then relised this wee guy couldnt fly so i go and get a towel to grab it with (TBH didnt know wtf i would have done with it) go back out climb over the fences to find it lying there dead (basicly ripped open!) so unfortunaly i was to late! 

why do they turn on each if one if weeker?
its just sad!

any R.I.P maggie


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## Freakinfreak

Domination thing? It could've tried to attack it's young and it went ape-sh*t on it's ass perhaps...


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## SilverSteno

A lot of birds will kill others of the same species, it can be for a variety of reasons such as food, territory, defence of chicks/nest or over mates etc. Robins are notorious for agressive fighting over territory and drake mallards without mates can and do drown females as they try to mate with them. I've seen a crow try to drown a rival in a river and a blackbird batter another almost to death. It's sad, but nature isn't always pretty and this is how many birds (and other animals!) manage to survive.


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## corvid2e1

many birds are terretorial, espesialy this time of year with young in the nest or just fledging. it could have been a terretorial despute bettween a breeding pair and an intruder, however although these can often look violent, it does not often end fataly. this one could have simply been unlucky, however when corvids are involved there is another posability. "rook parlements" have often been documented and involve a flock of rooks circling a single bird, or sometimes a pair, and after seeming to discuss the situation for a while, the flock will then either fly away or attack the centre bird and kill it. at one point this used to be seen as the society puneshing a delinquent bird, hence the name, however it is more likely that it is a mercy killing of a sick or injured individual. this puts the suffering bird out of its misery and may also stop disease spreading. jackdaws and crows have also been documented to display this ritual so, although I have not personaly heard of it ocuring with magpies, being closely related and showing very similar behaviour it is quite possable.


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## bobby

Poor bird 

I love magpies :2thumb:


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## Big Red One

bobby said:


> Poor bird
> 
> I love magpies :2thumb:


I hate em - vermin.................


:devil:


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## bobby

Big Red One said:


> I hate em - vermin.................
> 
> 
> :devil:


They're beautiful and clever


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## 955i

Let them kill each other!!

Bloody vermin :devil:

Responsible for huge reductions in passerine species and ground nesting birds.


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## bobby

955i said:


> Let them kill each other!!
> 
> Bloody vermin :devil:
> 
> Responsible for huge reductions in passerine species and ground nesting birds.


Nesting on the ground = stupid

Sheep = stupid = people dinner


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## fergie

955i said:


> Let them kill each other!!
> 
> Bloody vermin :devil:
> 
> Responsible for huge reductions in passerine species and ground nesting birds.


So they do this willfully, with the knowledge that they are decimating these small birds to fatal numbers? 

Or maybe just maybe, the Magpie is doing what it has always done. Preying upon smaller birds, chicks and eggs that offer a relatively easy meal for a smart, powerful bird. I would also like to point out that the destruction of hedgerows, new and intensive farming methods and the scourge that is cats have a far bigger detrimental effect on song bird numbers than Magpies will ever have.


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## bobby

fergie said:


> So they do this willfully, with the knowledge that they are decimating these small birds to fatal numbers?
> 
> Or maybe just maybe, the Magpie is doing what it has always done. Preying upon smaller birds, chicks and eggs that offer a relatively easy meal for a smart, powerful bird. I would also like to point out that the destruction of hedgerows, new and intensive farming methods and the scourge that is cats have a far bigger detrimental effect on song bird numbers than Magpies will ever have.


I wish we were allowed to shoot cats 

There are loads of cats up here near the river and they're breeding.....


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## fergie

bobby said:


> I wish we were allowed to shoot cats
> 
> There are loads of cats up here near the river and they're breeding.....


I would rather shoot the irresponsible owners of cats.


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## bobby

fergie said:


> I would rather shoot the irresponsible owners of cats.


This is true, they seem to be breeding as well....


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## elliot ness

Magpies are rats with wings.....as well as killing and making a meal of any fledgling they come across.....or anything that tastes good.
They are on breed we could quite easily really do without in this country.
You are legally entitled to shoot and kill a magpie so that must tell you bird lovers something.
Magpies may be shot or trapped legally under general licence
BTW....compared to the Jay....anothother member of the Corvidae family,magpies are pig ugly and how many people have seen one of those ?
They were rather common when we used to shoot game.
I blame,rightly or wrongly,the demise of all our avian widllife on the magpie .


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## bobby

elliot ness said:


> Magpies are rats with wings.....as well as killing and making a meal of any fledgling they come across.....or anything that tastes good.
> They are on breed we could quite easily really do without in this country.
> You are legally entitled to shoot and kill a magpie so that must tell you bird lovers something.
> Magpies may be shot or trapped legally under general licence
> BTW....compared to the Jay....anothother member of the Corvidae family,magpies are pig ugly and how many people have seen one of those ?
> They were rather common when we used to shoot game.
> I blame,rightly or wrongly,the demise of all our avian widllife on the magpie .


That would be wrongly........


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## Zoo-Man

fergie said:


> So they do this willfully, with the knowledge that they are decimating these small birds to fatal numbers?
> 
> Or maybe just maybe, the Magpie is doing what it has always done. Preying upon smaller birds, chicks and eggs that offer a relatively easy meal for a smart, powerful bird. I would also like to point out that the destruction of hedgerows, new and intensive farming methods and the scourge that is cats have a far bigger detrimental effect on song bird numbers than Magpies will ever have.


Here here :notworthy:


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## Zoo-Man

elliot ness said:


> Magpies are rats with wings.....as well as killing and making a meal of any fledgling they come across.....or anything that tastes good.
> They are on breed we could quite easily really do without in this country.
> You are legally entitled to shoot and kill a magpie so that must tell you bird lovers something.
> Magpies may be shot or trapped legally under general licence
> BTW....compared to the Jay....anothother member of the Corvidae family,magpies are pig ugly and how many people have seen one of those ?
> They were rather common when we used to shoot game.
> I blame,rightly or wrongly,the demise of all our avian widllife on the magpie .


Quite possibly the biggest heap of b*ll*cks I have ever read on this forum!


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## bobby

Zoo-Man said:


> Quite possibly the biggest heap of b*ll*cks I have ever read on this forum!


Bollocks indeed......


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## purplekitten

bobby said:


> I wish we were allowed to shoot cats
> 
> There are loads of cats up here near the river and they're breeding.....



:censor::censor::censor:


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## bobby

purplekitten said:


> :censor::censor::censor:


They are wild and breeding, they are a huge burdon on our wildlife.......

How would you feel about Rottweilers roaming free?


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## purplekitten

bobby said:


> They are wild and breeding, they are a huge burdon on our wildlife.......
> 
> How would you feel about Rottweilers roaming free?



as long as they stay away from my cats and they dont climb trees :whistling2::lol2:


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## bobby

purplekitten said:


> as long as they stay away from my cats and they dont climb trees :whistling2::lol2:


:roll:



:lol2:


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## Ozgi

bobby said:


> That would be wrongly........





Zoo-Man said:


> Quite possibly the biggest heap of b*ll*cks I have ever read on this forum!


:lol2:

I think he has something against magpies


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## fergie

elliot ness said:


> Magpies are rats with wings.....as well as killing and making a meal of any fledgling they come across.....or anything that tastes good.
> They are on breed we could quite easily really do without in this country.
> You are legally entitled to shoot and kill a magpie so that must tell you bird lovers something.
> Magpies may be shot or trapped legally under general licence
> BTW....compared to the Jay....anothother member of the Corvidae family,magpies are pig ugly and how many people have seen one of those ?
> They were rather common when we used to shoot game.
> I blame,rightly or wrongly,the demise of all our avian widllife on the magpie .


Well done on succeeding at being, not only pig ignorant, but also brain dead.

Please enlighten us all as to how you came to the conclusion that Magpies are solely to blame for the demise of all our avian wildlife?


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## brittone05

We get a lot of magpies near us - I love them. The other day, several magpies actually dive bombed what I think was a crow ( don't know what a rook or raven looks like in comparison? ) and beat the crap out of it. My neighbour and I went out and shooed them all off while the crow regained itself and legged it!


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## simooshy

Ooh, this got a bit heated! I don't really mind magpies, I know the harm other birds, but so do a LOT of other bird species. There are just more magpies.


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## Zoo-Man

fergie said:


> Well done on succeeding at being, not only pig ignorant, but also brain dead.
> 
> Please enlighten us all as to how you came to the conclusion that Magpies are solely to blame for the demise of all our avian wildlife?


Didn't you know about the magpies that killed off all the Peregrine falcons in the 60s & 70s??? Or the ones that devoured all those Red Kites??? Surely you heard of the maggies that munched all the White-Tailed Sea Eagles??? 

And what do you think happened to the poor Dodo? :devil:

:lol2:


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## bobby

Zoo-Man said:


> Didn't you know about the magpies that killed off all the Peregrine falcons in the 60s & 70s??? Or the ones that devoured all those Red Kites??? Surely you heard of the maggies that munched all the White-Tailed Sea Eagles???
> 
> And what do you think happened to the poor Dodo? :devil:
> 
> :lol2:


:notworthy:


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## daftlassieEmma

wtf have i walked into? :shock: i like magpies, though i do find it a little distressing seeing them scouring the hedgerows...but then that's nature 










:lol2:


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## bobby

daftlassieEmma said:


> wtf have i walked into? :shock: i like magpies, though i do find it a little distressing seeing them scouring the hedgerows...but then that's nature
> 
> image
> 
> :lol2:


:2thumb:

yeah, you feel bad when you see a lioness take down its prey?


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## mustang100893

Zoo-Man said:


> Didn't you know about the magpies that killed off all the Peregrine falcons in the 60s & 70s??? Or the ones that devoured all those Red Kites??? Surely you heard of the maggies that munched all the White-Tailed Sea Eagles???
> 
> And what do you think happened to the poor Dodo? :devil:
> 
> :lol2:


I love the fact your sig is an Eevee being shot :whistling2:, oh and to the person who said about Jays i seen some there cool but so are magpies, if you want a species to blame for the demise in our native avian wildlife, and not only avian but also our fish, mammals, reptiles and amphibians as well as many plants and invertebrates then blame yourself, our species as a whole has caused the decline of so many species because of introduction of non-native species and collection and killing of our native ones.


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## mustang100893

This wasn't all targeted at you Zoo_Man just thought your sig was appropriate for the topic:whistling2::no1:,


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## bobby

I hate cats, can we please cull all cats without collars?


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## fergie

Zoo-Man said:


> Didn't you know about the magpies that killed off all the Peregrine falcons in the 60s & 70s??? Or the ones that devoured all those Red Kites??? Surely you heard of the maggies that munched all the White-Tailed Sea Eagles???
> 
> And what do you think happened to the poor Dodo? :devil:
> 
> :lol2:


Are these the same ones that wiped out the Bustards and Avocets?


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## Zoo-Man

mustang100893 said:


> This wasn't all targeted at you Zoo_Man just thought your sig was appropriate for the topic:whistling2::no1:,


I know mate, and your post above this one was spot on! :2thumb:


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## Zoo-Man

bobby said:


> I hate cats, can we please cull all cats without collars?


No Bobby, no! Now go sit in the corner & finish your colouring book! 

Seriously though, it is down to teh owners of cats to be responsible & prevent their pets killing wildlife. I love cats & I have 2 Siamese cats myself, but they are house cats so do not go out of the house.


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## Zoo-Man

fergie said:


> Are these the same ones that wiped out the Bustards and Avocets?


They're the ones! :2thumb:


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## bobby

Zoo-Man said:


> No Bobby, no! Now go sit in the corner & finish your colouring book!
> 
> Seriously though, it is down to teh owners of cats to be responsible & prevent their pets killing wildlife. I love cats & I have 2 Siamese cats myself, but they are house cats so do not go out of the house.


WITHOUT COLLARS

There are loads of wild moggies down here near the river, they're breeding too.............


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## Zoo-Man

bobby said:


> WITHOUT COLLARS
> 
> There are loads of wild moggies down here near the river, they're breeding too.............


The feral cats are becoming more & more numerous all over the UK. You should try contacting your local SSPCA centre or Cats Protection, as they may trap the adult cats, take them to be neutered, & any that are friendly enough may be rehomed.


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## Big Red One

bobby said:


> :2thumb:
> 
> yeah, you feel bad when you see a lioness take down its prey?



But there aren't Lions every couple of hundred yards at the side of the road.
I see the points about 'positive' side of magpies and that it's nature's way etc.

I have been an outdoors person my entire life and can honestly say that my own observations are that Maggies DO have an effect on songbirds. This is because their numbers have increased hugely over 25 years or so. Magpies used to be like Jays, secretive and fairly hard to get close to, now you see 7/8 of them in groups at the roadside verges near me all the time. They are literally everywhere, where once they weren't. I have had blackbirds nest in the garden most years and not one nest I have seen has survived to fledging, as the magpies take the eggs or babies very early on.

Obviously 'some' are surviving, as there is a population to nest in the first place, but I do feel that there is over predation from Magpies in particular.

I don't hate all corvids, but do feel that Magpies are a bit too high in numbers these days to be classed as having a natural balance, certainly near me.

In Scotland and Ireland they are much less common, which is maybe why some of you don't see them as being problematic. I can regularly see 10 plus on a few mile journey to work, and they are almost ever present around my house !


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## fergie

Big Red One said:


> But there aren't Lions every couple of hundred yards at the side of the road.
> I see the points about 'positive' side of magpies and that it's nature's way etc.
> 
> I have been an outdoors person my entire life and can honestly say that my own observations are that Maggies DO have an effect on songbirds. This is because their numbers have increased hugely over 25 years or so. Magpies used to be like Jays, secretive and fairly hard to get close to, now you see 7/8 of them in groups at the roadside verges near me all the time. They are literally everywhere, where once they weren't. I have had blackbirds nest in the garden most years and not one nest I have seen has survived to fledging, as the magpies take the eggs or babies very early on.
> 
> Obviously 'some' are surviving, as there is a population to nest in the first place, but I do feel that there is over predation from Magpies in particular.
> 
> I don't hate all corvids, but do feel that Magpies are a bit too high in numbers these days to be classed as having a natural balance, certainly near me.
> 
> In Scotland and Ireland they are much less common, which is maybe why some of you don't see them as being problematic. I can regularly see 10 plus on a few mile journey to work, and they are almost ever present around my house !


Every morning on my way walking to work I must see at least 10 to 20 Magpies en route. Along with Jackdaws, Rooks and Hooded Crows. I reguarly see Crows and Magpies in flight with chicks in their beak heading back to their nests. I also have to add that we have an abundance of Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Goldfinch, Sparrow, Greenfinch, Great Tit amongst others. If what you say is true, surely all these predatory Corvids would be having a field day.


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## Big Red One

fergie said:


> I reguarly see Crows and Magpies in flight with chicks in their beak heading back to their nests.
> 
> If what you say is true, surely all these predatory Corvids would be having a field day.


Sounds like they are from the first sentence !

It seems like we will have to beg to differ - opinion is what it is - opinion !
There are many people for and against this particular issue, those who like Maggies can like them, I'll choose not too !
:2thumb:


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## the count

I feed corvids,usually with a piece of lead in the shape of a pellet,,i also hate vermin,,,,KILL A CORVID,SAVE A SONG BIRD:2thumb:


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## bobby

the count said:


> I feed corvids,usually with a piece of lead in the shape of a pellet,,i also hate vermin,,,,KILL A CORVID,SAVE A SONG BIRD:2thumb:


*sigh*

Cant we just all shoot cats?


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## Ssthisto

the count said:


> I feed corvids,usually with a piece of lead in the shape of a pellet,,i also hate vermin,,,,KILL A CORVID,SAVE A SONG BIRD:2thumb:


Kill a corvid, you're still killing native wildlife that isn't responsible for the destruction of habitat that's wiping out songbirds.....


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> Kill a corvid, you're still killing native wildlife that isn't responsible for the destruction of habitat that's wiping out songbirds.....


Indeed, but people are idiots....

Still say cats need to be controlled now...

No collar = dead cat


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> Indeed, but people are idiots....
> 
> Still say cats need to be controlled now...
> 
> No collar = dead cat


Yes, cats are a problem - although I'd appreciate it on behalf of Jonesy, who is very good at slipping his collar, that they get a three-strikes policy - if they're spotted three times in a row with no collar, then they get caught and euthanised.


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> Yes, cats are a problem - although I'd appreciate it on behalf of Jonesy, who is very good at slipping his collar, that they get a three-strikes policy - if they're spotted three times in a row with no collar, then they get caught and euthanised.


Hmm, forgot cats can do that :hmm:

Can people with ocelots, servils and things let them out?


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> Hmm, forgot cats can do that :hmm:
> 
> Can people with ocelots, servils and things let them out?


No, Ocelots and Servals are under the DWA - they'd have to have an outdoor secure enclosure that is built to the local council's specifications.


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> No, Ocelots and Servals are under the DWA - they'd have to have an outdoor secure enclosure that is built to the local council's specifications.


Ahh, didn't know they were DWA.....


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## Ssthisto

Yep. And the folks who have non-DWA non-domesticated / part domestic part nondomestic cats tend not to let them out either.... because they may or may not come home.


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> Yep. And the folks who have non-DWA non-domesticated / part domestic part nondomestic cats tend not to let them out either.... because they may or may not come home.


What I was going to say is they cant take down prey much bigger?

So surely any laws about keeping them contained should apply to domestic cats too?


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> What I was going to say is they cant take down prey much bigger?


A serval in the wild can take down a gazelle, although their prey is USUALLY smaller - in the rat-to-rabbitish size range. Ocelots will take monkeys and hares. Neither is particularly picky to go for songbirds/mice.



> So surely any laws about keeping them contained should apply to domestic cats too?


The key word here is "domestic". A "domestic" cat is not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals act (which is the ONLY reason Servals / Ocelots would have to be kept in legally speaking - now, ensuring someone doesn't steal them, that's another reason to keep one in, but it's not a legal requirement).


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> A serval in the wild can take down a gazelle, although their prey is USUALLY smaller - in the rat-to-rabbitish size range. Ocelots will take monkeys and hares. Neither is particularly picky to go for songbirds/mice.
> 
> 
> 
> The key word here is "domestic". A "domestic" cat is not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals act (which is the ONLY reason Servals / Ocelots would have to be kept in legally speaking - now, ensuring someone doesn't steal them, that's another reason to keep one in, but it's not a legal requirement).


Are there any larger cats that don't require a DWA?

BTW I never realised Servals could take down large prey, they look tiny :blush:


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> Are there any larger cats that don't require a DWA?


Looks like the only cats that don't require DWA are approximately domestic-cat-sized - _Felis silvestris, Otocolobus manul, Leopardus tigrinus, Oncifelis geoffroyi, Oncifelis guigna, Catopuma badia, Felis margarita, Felis nigripes, Prionailurus rubiginosus_ and _Felis silvestris catus_. 



> BTW I never realised Servals could take down large prey, they look tiny :blush:


Tiny?

http://72.41.10.229/images/1 Dona and serval.jpg

21-26 inches at the shoulder, 9-26 kilograms in weight....

That said, not all gazelles are "large" prey, either


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## bobby

lmao
I've seen hare that big :lol2:

Yeah, still don't think you should be allowed to let a predator free roam....

Rather good predators too the cats eh? :whistling2:


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> Yeah, still don't think you should be allowed to let a predator free roam....


Unfortunately, unless cats are subject to a licence, mandatory microchipping and yearly required vaccinations, it's unlikely that you'd get many people keeping their moggies indoors. If mine hadn't been so USED to going out (thanks to a mother-in-law who thought it was "cruel" to keep them in) they'd have been indoor cats from day one, because I grew up in the USA, where if your cat is outside it is picked up by Animal Control and you have to pay to get it back unless it's got a collar, tags and a rabies tag.



> Rather good predators too the cats eh? :whistling2:


Depends on the cat. My Jonesy's latest and greatest kill was a manky, grass-covered piece of cheese.


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> Unfortunately, unless cats are subject to a licence, mandatory microchipping and yearly required vaccinations, it's unlikely that you'd get many people keeping their moggies indoors. If mine hadn't been so USED to going out (thanks to a mother-in-law who thought it was "cruel" to keep them in) they'd have been indoor cats from day one, because I grew up in the USA, where if your cat is outside it is picked up by Animal Control and you have to pay to get it back unless it's got a collar, tags and a rabies tag.
> 
> 
> 
> Depends on the cat. My Jonesy's latest and greatest kill was a manky, grass-covered piece of cheese.


The Americans have it right IMO...

The number of cats here is getting stupid, down beside the river near my house I have seen so many cats that I don't think belong to anyone....

Someone told me they are breeding down there?


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> The Americans have it right IMO...


With the exception of working farms, yes.



> The number of cats here is getting stupid, down beside the river near my house I have seen so many cats that I don't think belong to anyone....
> 
> Someone told me they are breeding down there?


Almost certainly. What needs to happen there is a trap-spay-release programme. Killing the local cats won't get rid of them (more will move in from adjacent territories) ... but sterilising them so that they aren't producing kittens will keep the numbers stable. In the long run it should result in a decline if EVERY area does trap-spay-release.


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## bobby

Ssthisto said:


> With the exception of working farms, yes.
> 
> 
> 
> Almost certainly. What needs to happen there is a trap-spay-release programme. Killing the local cats won't get rid of them (more will move in from adjacent territories) ... but sterilising them so that they aren't producing kittens will keep the numbers stable. In the long run it should result in a decline if EVERY area does trap-spay-release.


Unusual to hear any of the cat people talking sense, usually just get emotional drivel :whistling2:

I agree with you 100%

I'd just like to hear someone acknowledge a problem and put something into action....


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## Ssthisto

bobby said:


> Unusual to hear any of the cat people talking sense, usually just get emotional drivel :whistling2:


Don't get me wrong - I LOVE cats. I'm much more a cat person than a dog person. 

But I see the damage they can do (our cat Ripley pulled an entire clutch of bluetits out of a nest box the first year Mother-in-law decided to let him out - she was horrified and told me "Make him stop doing it." I told her "stop letting him outside, then!") and even when they're not harassing wildlife, they may be harassing neighbours, fighting with neighbours' pets.... and breeding out of control.



> I'd just like to hear someone acknowledge a problem and put something into action....


It'd be great if some of the RSPCA's millions went to trap-neuter-release programs, wouldn't it?


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## Pobble

bobby said:


> Poor bird
> 
> I love magpies :2thumb:


i love magpies too very cute had one that became like a family pet for a while :2thumb: i do agree they can be very agressive on breeding time not fun !!especailly when riding a bicycle and having one dive bomb you.:lol2:


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## Zoo-Man

the count said:


> I feed corvids,usually with a piece of lead in the shape of a pellet,,i also hate vermin,,,,KILL A CORVID,SAVE A SONG BIRD:2thumb:


Pathetic......


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## Pobble

so you think a maggie is vermin --- seriously ?


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## bobby

Zoo-Man said:


> Pathetic......


Yup, seems to be a trend though?


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## daftlassieEmma




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## corvid2e1

the main diet of magpies throughout most of the year is insects. in adition to that they will also take carrion, fruit, nuts and seeds. on rare ocasions they will also hunt small animals such as rodents, frogs etc, or will finish off an already sick or injured bird. In the breeding season, for the four weeks of the year that they have their own chicks in the nest to feed, they have a need for a high protin diet so will take the young of other open nesting birds in addition to their normal diet. this is how nature works, and is the reason that small birds will raise so many young in a season. tits will rear up to 15 young in a single clutch. thrushes, finches etc will combat this by rearing up to 3 clutches of 4 or 5 birds in a season. magpies are also not the only predators to take advantage of this food suply. great spotted woodpeckers, who everyone owning a bird table is so keen to attract, not only raid open nests, but will chisle their way into tit boxes as well. everyones favoret farmland bird, the barn owl, is well documented to not only raid songbird nests to feed their chicks, but being purely carnivorus, throughout the entire season to feed themselves. magpies themselves will suffer predation on their nests by other species, hence the throrny, domed structure of their nest as a defence. looking at5 the rest of this thread I do not even need to mention the damage that domestic cats inflict, not only on the young birds, but on the breeding population adults.

an independent study showed that in areas that magpie numbers were increasing, so too were the numbers of other songbirds. and vice versa. this is probably due to the fact that, for a start, magpies have no impact on the breeding population, and the reason for the increase in certain areas was due to less habitat destruction, beter farming methods etc. resulting in more insects, the main diet of the birds involved.

the main reason magpies apear so common is the way they live. they are large, bold, active birds, that forage around houses and roadsides, and advertise their presence deliberetly as a way of defending their terretory. the most numorus bird in the uk is actuly the wren, however since they are small and ilusive, and as such rairly seen, they are thought of as more vunerable.


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## Woodsman

corvid2e1 said:


> the main diet of magpies throughout most of the year is insects. in adition to that they will also take carrion, fruit, nuts and seeds. on rare ocasions they will also hunt small animals such as rodents, frogs etc, or will finish off an already sick or injured bird. In the breeding season, for the four weeks of the year that they have their own chicks in the nest to feed, they have a need for a high protin diet so will take the young of other open nesting birds in addition to their normal diet. this is how nature works, and is the reason that small birds will raise so many young in a season. tits will rear up to 15 young in a single clutch. thrushes, finches etc will combat this by rearing up to 3 clutches of 4 or 5 birds in a season. magpies are also not the only predators to take advantage of this food suply. great spotted woodpeckers, who everyone owning a bird table is so keen to attract, not only raid open nests, but will chisle their way into tit boxes as well. everyones favoret farmland bird, the barn owl, is well documented to not only raid songbird nests to feed their chicks, but being purely carnivorus, throughout the entire season to feed themselves. magpies themselves will suffer predation on their nests by other species, hence the throrny, domed structure of their nest as a defence. looking at5 the rest of this thread I do not even need to mention the damage that domestic cats inflict, not only on the young birds, but on the breeding population adults.
> 
> an independent study showed that in areas that magpie numbers were increasing, so too were the numbers of other songbirds. and vice versa. this is probably due to the fact that, for a start, magpies have no impact on the breeding population, and the reason for the increase in certain areas was due to less habitat destruction, beter farming methods etc. resulting in more insects, the main diet of the birds involved.
> 
> the main reason magpies apear so common is the way they live. they are large, bold, active birds, that forage around houses and roadsides, and advertise their presence deliberetly as a way of defending their terretory. the most numorus bird in the uk is actuly the wren, however since they are small and ilusive, and as such rairly seen, they are thought of as more vunerable.


Absolutely spot on:2thumb:


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## vawn

Pobble said:


> so you think a maggie is vermin --- seriously ?


i dont think they are though they are very violent lol
they say you get no garden birds wen u have magpies but i have alot of diff bird species n magpies rule over my garden, though fo rme that is a good thing as there are a hell of alot of herring gulls in my space and they ARE vermin lol, the magpies keep em out n make it possible for the smaller birds to thrive


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## bobby

vawn said:


> i dont think they are though *they are very violent* lol
> they say you get no garden birds wen u have magpies but i have alot of diff bird species n magpies rule over my garden, though fo rme that is a good thing as there are a hell of alot of herring gulls in my space and they ARE vermin lol, the magpies keep em out n make it possible for the smaller birds to thrive


Really?


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## vawn

magpies are nutters! you seen the size of a herring gull? n my magpie pair in my big tree have kept dozens of them out of my garden its funny like i amm surrounded by the dam gulls but none dare enter they too scared lol


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