We have a lot of magpies around, but two are regular visitors to my garden. I saw one of them with a youngster a few days ago and I think the nest is a few gardens along. My logic for feeding them is that perhaps they'll eat less chicks if they're getting an easier meal at mine. Anyway, they don't seem to bother the other birds in my garden. They're smart and I think they have real character. You can see how much bigger their brains are when you see them compared to wood pigeons. There was a recent study published in New Scientist showing that magpies recognise their own reflections. There's a great video online of them seeing coloured stickers on their throats in a mirror and picking them off but they don't react when the stickers are black and blend in with their feathers. But when they could see the stickers they knew they were on them, not another bird standing next to them.Anyway, mad idea, but because they are smarter than average, I was wondering if I could rig up some kind of enrichment toy for them. It needs to be shiny to attract them in the first place and it needs to involve some kind of food reward - something more desirable and different from what's already on the bird table. Plus they keep playing with my houseleeks - pecking the new plantlets off - so I want to give them something better to do!I started by looking at the steel safety bells that are sold as parrot toys but they are really expensive. Next idea chrome tubing that I could stuff little bits of meat into, but I couldn't find anywhere that would cut it short enough and I can;t cut it myself. I've considered upside down buckets (from bridal favour size stuffed with meat to large with the handle as the perch) with food hanging inside somehow. That's tricky because I don't know how much room a magpie needs to be able to get the size right... I'm out of ideas and I was wondering if anyone else had already tried this or had any tips. ThanksBy the way, I've nicknamed the Magpies Sonny and Cher after I saw them sitting together like a couple of lovebirds (I Got You Babe), and the Wood Pigeons are Laurel and Hardy for their act of falling off the bird table roof with style and grace! (Hog Wild).
I am not convinced that wild animals really need enrichment as such, but I do think corvids and other intelligent birds are naturally playful, so why not? Never tried it myself but they might enjoy something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snacky-Food-Ball-Toy-Cats/dp/B00178PIYC/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&qid=1370604165&sr=8-29&keywords=cat+treat+ball The idea is that you fill the ball with food (needs to be something non-sticky), then the cat/Magpie rolls the ball around and now and then a bit of food falls out of the hole.
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
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I've actually got one of these balls - my cat has no interest in it! I just thought it might not be shiny enough, but one the other hand, if they can see coloured stickers, they'll probably notice a bright yellow rolling thing. I think I have some cat treats left that she didn't like either. As I said, the clincher was needing to coax them away from pecking my house leeks to pieces!
Hehe - The neighbour's cat might cash in as well. She's hiding out in ours a lot lately (avoiding children). No worries there, she'd getting on and not quick enough to catch the birds any more.
Maybe I'll tether it to the ground with a shiny chain so I don't lose it...
Speaking as someone who has a few unreleasable magpies, I think you and the magpies would have a lot of fun with a bit of a challenge!
The object doesn't have to be shiny, it just has to be not nailed down :D (And as a friend said, even if it was nailed down, they'd just take the nails first...) But you're looking for something that can't be stolen.
I bought one of these for my pies
www.northernparrots.com/hanging-puzzle-tower-enrichment-parrot-toy-large-prod366121
I think you should try something like the puzzle tower and put something tasty in there (mealworms or .... mmmm... waxworms would be perfect) and if you do, please, PLEASE video the results!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Great video. Is the tower quite weighty? I'm wondering about it getting knocked over in the back garden. I suppose it must be quite sturdy to survive a parrot (or magpie) I was looking at Northern Parrots initially when I was looking at bells. There are a few articles from zoos etc with captive corvids that say they love them.
It's a very good site. It was the parrot bell - with the bits and pieces to pull out that gave me the bucket idea. I'll look through the whole range and see what fits my garden best, and that I can put where they tend to go.
Thanks to both of you. :-)
It's quite a light plastic tower. You could probably drill through the base and bolt it to something as well as/instead of hanging it up.
I bet Cyril squirrel would love that toy Maisie !!! I might put it on his christmas list lol
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Regards, Hazel
Still thinking about the ball and chain idea.
There's a clear ball for parrots called a Buffet Ball. The food inside would be visible and there's a handy hole in the end - probably from casting the plastic - which I could attach a chain to - B&Q for that. Now the only thing left is a weight at the other end. A brick would do the job but as I wondered about how much a Magpie could feasibly lift, it all started to go a bit Pythonesque -
Bridgekeeper: Stop. What... is your name?
King Arthur: It is 'Arthur', King of the Britons.
Bridgekeeper: What... is your quest?
King Arthur: To seek the Holy Grail.
Bridgekeeper: What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
King Arthur: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Bridgekeeper: Huh? I... I don't know that.
[he is thrown over]
Bridgekeeper: Auuuuuuuugh.
Sir Bedevere: How do know so much about swallows?
King Arthur: Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.
I should probably stop thinking about this now and go to sleep. lol.
If it helps your calculations, I once saw Pie fly out of the room with a stapler in his beak...
Haha. A brick it is then!
I think I have it sussed. I'll get the buffet ball next week, then I'll know what size marine eye bolt I need to attach a chain to it. I'll sort out how long the chain can be, and hunt out a snap hook for the other end. I already have a brick with holes to anchor it.
If it works I'll definitely post videos.