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The Inquisitive Magpie

12/26/2019

10 Comments

 
Picture
Recently on a morning bush walk with Milo, I noticed a magpie at the edge of our neighborhood. Nothing unusual about that, until I realized he was following us. On foot. When we walked, he scurried along behind us. When we stopped to look, he stopped too, affecting a casual demeanor. As soon as my back was turned, he followed us again.

I was concerned at first he would swoop us, so I kept an eye on him. He continued to follow us. 
Then I thought that maybe he was injured and couldn’t fly, but he was quick to swoop another magpie who entered his territory. And then he was back to following us.
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Even Milo after a while was puzzled by this bird’s persistence.
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He followed us for around 800 feet, which is nearly three football fields in length.

Why? Was he escorting us politely from his territory? Looking for food from me? Was he just curious?

Magpie behavior is often a mystery to me. Magpies are among the most intelligent birds, and they often engage with humans. They recognize faces over time, and there are accounts of them gardening, attempting to type at a keyboard, and introducing their offspring to their favorite humans. They have twice been observed in behavior that looks like a trial by jury. 

​This was not the first time I have been puzzled by a magpie. Around six months ago, when I was hiking at Red Hill, a magpie marched right up to me, a few inches from my toes.  
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Clearly, he needed something. Turns out what he needed was an audience. He treated me to a long, glorious song. 

Australian magpies are endlessly fascinating, mysterious birds, and I am glad to have them as my neighbors.
10 Comments
Diane
12/27/2019 11:16:24 am

I’m thinking Milo and you have been adopted (LOL). Love the photos!

Reply
Rose
12/27/2019 12:11:53 pm

Thanks! The magpie was very photogenic. :) I don't know about Milo, but I would love to be part of a magpie family. Thanks as always for reading and commenting.

Reply
Ed Reniker
12/27/2019 01:49:16 pm

I wasn't aware they were as good at recognizing individual faces as you revealed. That is not an easy thing and requires a lot of effort. Computers do it by comparisons that are running at nanosecond rates. Myself, I may recognize I sort of kind of maybe know that person and not be able to connect them to a real person. Especially if you meet them in another location or in different clothes (out of uniform, for example). I recently read that sheep, while very easily frightened are not as dumb as we thought. They too can recognize faces and their own names with folks familiar to them.

Reply
Rose
12/28/2019 04:29:20 pm

Dear Ed,
I didn't know that about sheep -- intriguing. I think we underestimate the abilities of many animals. I've been reading that dogs may be more intelligent than we think too. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Reply
Sara
12/31/2019 08:04:10 pm

As a bird lover this was a great story.. thanks! I am from Richmond Virginia USA

Reply
Rose
1/1/2020 12:32:11 am

Hello, Sara. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Birds are fascinating, aren't they? When I lived in the United States, I had the opportunity to visit Richmond several times -- what a lovely old city. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.

Reply
Ted
1/3/2020 07:25:49 am

CBS This Morning, just had piece on one of these birds making sounds like emergency sirens due to all the fires in the air. Stay safe! Happy New Year (down under).

Reply
Rose
1/3/2020 05:05:18 pm

Thanks, Ted. I have seen that video of the magpie. They are clever imitators; it’s just too unfortunate that they are hearing so many sirens around them. We are okay at the moment, but smoke has made the air hazardous. We are monitoring the news closely because weather conditions (extremely hot temps and wind) make it extremely likely that fires will start in our area. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Reply
Maria
1/4/2020 08:49:47 am

Happy New Year to you and yours. I enjoy your blog; you have a true talent for conveying a topic in an interesting and informative way.

Best wishes and good luck with the wildfires; stay safe!

Reply
Rose
1/4/2020 01:25:27 pm

Thank you, Maria, for the kind words. The smoke here is bad today. Bush fires are burning to the south and west of us. We are continuing to monitor the situation.

Reply



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    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

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