Yes, Magpies do attack small birds in this manner, not often but I certainly
have seen it happen often enough to think it is a fairly regular event. The
motivation is apparently sometimes predation as they do sometimes eat small
birds (even up to Eastern Rosella size according to a note in the Bird
Observer many years ago). At other times it just seems to be aggression. I
have seen the evasive method you (Frank) describe(s), used by small birds
when chased by a Magpie, successfully, and for evading a Collared
Sparrowhawk (unsuccessfully).
Just a trivial point along the lines of where observations occur. This
report mentioned "Dryandra State Forest (about 2 hours SE of Perth)". Yes
I've heard of Dryandra and I can look at a map, but how does the space-time
relationship get around 2 hours SE of Perth. What does that actually mean?
I'm not critical of Frank, as many people use such expressions. However,
without a context it is not a useful description. Presumably the time aspect
is referring to some form of movement of the observer. Is it about walking
distance, by boat, bicycle, canoe, train, plane or something else? I suggest
when people are writing something like that, they say 100 km SE or similar
and, if relevant, by road, rail etc.
-----Original Message-----
From:
<>
To: <>
Date: Tuesday, 30 March 1999 15:33
Subject: birding-aus Magpie Attacks Red-capped Robin
>
>
>
>I sent the following message Sunday, but it seemed to have fallen into the
>birding-aus black hole ...
>
>
>I spent last weekend at Dryandra State Forest (about 2 hours SE of Perth),
>assisting a banding team. While there I had some good observations.
>
>Late on Saturday afternoon (about 4:30pm) I was looking out over a wheat
>field with some stubble when I saw two small birds fly out into the
>paddock. I then saw an Australian Magpie attack them in flight. One bird
>flew vertically and was pursued by the magpie until the magpie seemed to
>'stall', at which point the small bird dived and made for cover in a fallen
>branch of a tree. I then identified it as a male Red-capped Robin. I
>don't know where the second small bird went.
>
>This is the first time that I have seen a bird avoid a predator this way
>before. It is also the first time that I have seen a magpie attack another
>bird in flight. One of the banders mentioned that when he released a
>Red-capped Robin at another site, it flew straight up before heading off
>into the distance. Usually a banded bird flies to a nearby tree, shakes
>itself off, and then moves on.
>
>Frank O'Connor
>
>
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