I have just witnessed a Magpie taking down and killing a pidgeon / ring dove.
We keep rescue chickens in our garden, free ranging. The garden is covered by CCTV cameras. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of our chickens pecking at something in their run.
During the day the gates to their run are open, so they come and go as they please and have their food and water in there.
I went down to investigate and found she was pecking at a dead, headless, ring dove. After disposing of the dead bird, I went indoors to re-view the footage. To see what, or who, had killed this bird.
Two ring doves had entered the chicken run and were feeding at the food hopper. Then two magpies arrived and chased them off the food. A flight fight ensued inside the the aviary, eventually escaping through the open door and into the garden.
The cameras then clearly showed one of the magpies attacking the bird in the air, bringing it down, killing it and then consuming it. The second magpie arrived and joined in.
One of our chooks (Mabel) was fascinated and wondered over to see what the commotion was about. She chased the magpies off and claimed the prize as hers.
We have at least two pairs of magpies that regularly visit. They get on with the chickens (at arms length) and are quite wary of them.
I suspected that, being of the crow family, magpies are carniverous. But I thought it was mostly carrion they would be after. I never suspected that they would kill, and eat, other birds.
I think that the chickens are safe with magpies, they can be quite vicious themselves.
I just hope that one of ours has not got the taste for pidgeons and perhaps grab one for herself.
We know that magpies will take chicks from nests so that is live food hunting. I suspect that they will be opportunistic - it may be that the death in the fight was more accidental than deliberate. That said I once witnessed a Crow kill an unsuspecting Knot at one reserve. Everything needs to build up their own reserves at this time of year for keeping the species going.
Which country are you posting from? If UK, I am assuming you mean collared doves. You've referred to pigeons twice though, so not clear on species. Important as some dove and pigeon species can breed pretty much any time in UK. A magpie catching an adult of any pigeon or dove species would be hard going. To somehow hold down and kill also hard going. But, if you saw juvenile birds, or at least the killed one was, that would make sense.
I am in the UK. Not quite sure of the exact species of the dead bird. Probably a collared dove, as they are plentyful round here. I suspect that the killed one had gorged itself on the chicken's food, that it was too fat to fly properly. That made it easier to take down. There was a second bird, that got chased by the other magpie, but that managed to out fly the persuer.
I still think it's more likely juveniles, and there could well have been a clutch of two, with both being picked off. Magpies don't have talons. Crows don't either but are a lot larger, so more able to kill adult birds. Adult doves would take a lot of strength for a magpie to bring down, hold down, kill etc.
edit. Any website stating they've seen magpies kill collared doves, I'd respond with the same thing. Most likely juvenile doves.
I have just seen a magpie fly off with a robin that had been feeding at a protected feeder in the garden. Horrible to watch. No wonder the small birds are so watchful before flying into the feeder .
Yes, magpies can and do take small adult birds. I've literally just come in from gardening having seen a jay take a young blackbird. There are two magpies and at least one carrion crow routinely patrolling for birds to catch here. Add in about 6 cats (not seen a sparrowhawk for about a month), and it's 100% breeding failure rate for species like blackbirds and song thrushes. It's been like that the 12 years we've lived here.
I also saw a magpie with a large slow worm a week or two ago. Not nice to watch. Unlike cats though, that is how the food chain has worked in UK for many years. The biggest issue, IMO, is some generalist species are being helped and encouraged by humans. e.g. great spotted woodpeckers. Others which used be persecuted, like magpies, are less so now, so i many areas, are far more dense population wise.
I'd put crows into the 'generalist/opprtunistic' feeding regime, rather than carniverous.
Likewise jungle fowl (which is where hens came from). Seeds, grain, worms, bugs, dead things and live things that they can handle.
My perspective is that amphibians (frogs, toads, newts) have more to fear from hens than crows, having watched two hens have a tug-of-war with a frog. Hens do also raid eggs, if they have the opportunity. They will plunder their own eggs.
I did once rescue a magpie fledgling from a hen run. It survived its encounter with the hens, but wasn't happy in the hen run (but was happy to plunder the hen food). The hen run was subsequently further secured (HPAI and all that).
I've seen over the past day or so a magpie investigating a domestic wheelie bin (not mine). The lid on it wasn't closed. No live things in that bin.
Yes. Crows and magpies are generalist.