Magpies are birds that we are all very familiar with, especially northerners have a special love for magpies and have special feelings, mainly due to the relatively depressed winter in the north, in the cold wind, all things are slaughtered, the earth is silent, lack of rhythm. Magpies are one of the few animals that can bring sound to this silent environment, and their calls are crisp and loud, making people feel very happy after listening.
Therefore, people gave such a festive name to this dark, not very cute bird, and in literary works, the magpie is often regarded as a symbol of festivity, a metaphor for this good life and sweet love.
In the eyes of the vast majority of people, magpies are a beneficial bird that eats pests, they do not seem to be much of a threat, and are a docile bird. But in fact, the magpie has a high IQ, which belongs to the general existence of the leader among birds, and using the advantage of IQ, the magpie also has a strong learning ability and teamwork ability. They not only eat plants and insects, but also prey on small animals, and sometimes expel eagles, which are the nemesis of birds of prey.
The birds of the annunciation are now not liked by farmers, who like to eat corn and bean seedlings and wipe out their crops, and peck watermelons one by one.
Magpies eat plant seeds and seedlings
Every spring, when everything comes back to life, it's the day farmers sow seeds, and the hungry magpies for a winter also usher in their first dining extravaganza. They follow the planter in droves, and when the planter passes, they can't wait to turn over the soft soil and eat the seeds.
Magpies are not picky eaters, whether it is corn, beans, etc. are their favorite foods, this behavior will continue until the seedling period, the fresh and fresh seedlings will be pecked by the magpies for the second time, sometimes the opportunity will be wiped out, in order to cope with this situation, farmers have to repeatedly replant, until the seedlings grow up to avoid.
Magpies peck at watermelons
Magpies are intelligent birds, they also like to peck at apples, grapes and other delicious fruits, and even watermelons that other animals can't do, magpies have a way to open. They peck a small hole in the surface of the watermelon and enjoy the tender flesh inside.
Today's magpies are no longer an annunciation birds, but they are annoying to farmers.
But magpies are not useless, and they also prey on harmful insects such as locusts and caterpillars.
Magpies catch pests in trees
Magpies in the rearing of young birds, will catch a large number of locusts, caterpillars and other pests, for the control of forest insect pests have a great contribution, usually in the magpie frequent woods, the growth of trees is better, the role of magpies is even greater than the woodpecker, is the real forest doctor.
Magpies not only like to eat plants, but also do not hesitate to eat meat, and are more and more interested in meat, and are handy in preying on small animals.
Magpies catch mice
Magpies are omnivores, and their demand for meat is also strong, especially in cities, where plant seeds and fruits are relatively small, while small animals such as rats are more likely to be found, and magpies have also changed their food needs in a timely manner, often catching mice.
Magpies catch lizards
Magpies are not picky about food, in addition to mice, some other small animals or insects encountered are on their diets, lizards crawling on the ground, voles, etc., tree jumping squirrels, flying insects, etc. are often preyed upon by magpies.
Magpies catch small fish
Of course, in addition to climbing on the ground and jumping on trees, magpies are also interested in swimming in the water, and the small fish on the shore often become a good meal for magpies, and even used to feed young birds is also a good food.
Magpies eat frogs
When it comes to the breeding season of frogs, the magpies have ushered in another feast, and the little frogs are like snacks to the magpies.
Magpies hunt sparrows
Flying in the sky is not safe, for magpies, flying is also their best play, magpies love to prey on sparrows. Especially in the city, there is a strong sense of territory among magpies, and a pair of magpies can often occupy several communities and hunt sparrows in the territory at any time like their own flocks.
The magpie caught a swallow
If the sparrow is a bit cute, then the swallow is a very agile bird, but even so, it is difficult to escape the clutches of the magpie. Magpies will pretend to approach the resting swallows without threat, and then launch a thunder strike when they are close enough, fully demonstrating their intelligence.
Magpies are chasing chicks
Some small birds are in the magpie's recipe, and as long as they can catch it, it will become a good meal for the magpie. Chickens, water birds, etc. are often hunted by magpies.
Magpies are becoming more and more ferocious in temperament, and they are also eyeing large and medium-sized animals.
Magpies chase pigeons
The carnivorous nature of magpies makes the magpies' temperament more and more fierce, and with the changes in human lifestyles, the size of the city is getting larger and larger, and the habits of magpies have also undergone great changes, and the proportion of meat in its food structure is increasing.
A magpie tries to attack a crane
As magpies become more proficient at preying on small animals, their temperament has become more fierce and aggressive, and it seems that all animals of similar size are within their range of attack.
Magpies attack seagulls
Magpies can suddenly attack docile medium-sized birds such as pigeons and doves. Sometimes for seagulls with the same fierce temperament, magpies will also launch a siege, several magpies cooperate, left and right, up and down, often make the seagull scarred, if the weaker seagull is likely to become the magpie's food.
Magpies and rabbits
In addition to being interested in small animals such as mice, magpies sometimes try to catch larger animals, such as rabbits. But adult rabbits are difficult to get started, their target is small rabbits, once found that there are female rabbits with cubs, magpies will fly in groups to the vicinity, several magpies take turns to lure adult rabbits, and when the tiger leaves the mountain, the rest of the magpies will rush up and grab the rabbits.
A bunny caught by a magpie
The magpie's status was further upgraded, transforming into a bird of prey buster, expelling peregrine falcons, beating owls, and riding eagles as horses.
Magpies drive peregrine falcons
In addition to preying on these weaker animals, the magpie's status has also been further upgraded, and even transformed into the nemesis of the bird of prey. In magpie territory, small birds of prey such as peregrine falcons are often expelled, and an adult magpie can expel peregrine falcons alone.
Magpies besiege falcons
For slightly larger birds of prey, magpies will adopt a team strategy, several magpies combining inside and outside, draining the falcon's physical strength, and when they run out of physical strength, a large, experienced magpie can successfully subdue the falcon.
Falcon subdued by magpies
In addition to these relatively small birds of prey, even if the other party is a little larger, the magpie will not be afraid, the owl is one of the overlords of birds, and the larger eagle owl even has a record of preying on eagles. But it was also helpless to face the magpie, and an owl was snatched up by the magpie during the flight.
Magpies rob owls of food
For large birds of prey, such as eagles or golden eagles. Magpies certainly don't pose a threat to them, but magpies naturally have a strong curiosity. They are not afraid of eagles, but often tease them.
The magpie tried to ride on the eagle's back
Magpies, like their close relatives, the crows, have a high IQ and therefore a strong thirst for knowledge, and when they encounter birds of prey, they will use their flexible hands to suddenly fall from a high altitude on the back of the eagle and use them as their mounts.
The crow rides on the eagle's back
How viable are magpies? Albino species can form populations!
Albino magpies
Strong adaptability gives magpies a strong ability to survive. Albinos are a common phenomenon in nature, but white is also a color that is difficult to camouflage, exposing itself easily in the green woods and catching prey. Therefore, the vast majority of albino animals are short-lived and difficult to survive.
But the magpie is different, its complex feeding habits, so that the albino magpie can also obtain sufficient food, and now in some mountainous areas of our country, the albino magpie has formed a small population, showing a strong ability to survive.
Magpies are intelligent, the chief of the birds, and will also hold funerals for their dead companions, comparable to elephants on the grassland, which is a dimensionality reduction blow to other animals.
Magpies are a species of crows, with a much larger brain capacity than other birds, so they have a higher IQ and belong to the top rank among birds. Even more amazingly, magpies also hold simple funerals for their dead companions, a custom in the animal kingdom that only elephants on the steppe have. The reason why magpies are so fierce is related to their superior intelligence.