On the Wild Side with Professor Ian Rotherham: The ever-adaptable magpies 

I feed the garden birds with a mixed variety of hanging feeders ranging from fat-balls and suet-dumplings to regular peanuts, and sunflower hearts. However, one of the most popular feeds is a mix of dried calci worms and mealworms in a spherical, hanging dispenser.

All the small and medium-sized birds seem to go for these, with flocks of starlings for example, descending en masse to gorge. But over recent weeks, the feeding frenzies have been joined by a rather larger cousin, the magpie.

At first the magpies seemed to struggle for ways to master an effective technique of holding on whilst extracting the dried insects. Nevertheless, magpies are long-lived members of the crow family and very intelligent, and over a few weeks they have developed various strategies to feed or else to shake the feeder and scatter the worms on the ground below.

They then drop down for a few minutes to scavenge and hoover-up the goodies. They will also try to fly up to the ball-feeder and peck, but with mixed success. Overall, the easiest way appears to be for the magpie to perch on a suitable branch and then lean over to access the feeder.

Along with the dried insects they also love the suet-balls and again have a variety of approaches to feeding. Of course, the presence of these bigger birds at the feeder does disrupt the other species, but the magpies are around for maybe five or ten minutes before they head out to other places. They will then return perhaps after another half an hour.

Observations highlight definite ‘pecking orders’ around the feeders, and amongst the bigger birds, the magpies seem about the same as the local jackdaws, but both step away when the carrion crows butt in. Neither jackdaws nor carrion crows are sufficiently dexterous to manage the mealworm and calci worm feeders, but they are drawn to both fat-balls and suet-dumplings.

Most birds scatter if the jackdaws arrive, and they all move away if the carrion crows come down. Each species appears to know its place in the hierarchy!

Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer & broadcaster on wildlife & environmental issues, is contactable on [email protected]; follow Ian’s blog (https://ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/) and Twitter @IanThewildside