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Hi
Viv,
Yes
baby magpies come out of the nest at various ages and sizes so it is not
unusual. What you describe has also happened with the pair at my house. Although
it is still a bit of a mystery what has happened because there were two nests in
the one tree but I have two adults feeding four young out of the nest and the
dates they left the nest varied by about 5 days from first to last. I think that
the chicks separated into two different nearby nests as it got too crowded. So
one of the young came down to the ground with hardly any wing feather
development and half adult size. The parent kept feeding the young in the nest
and on the ground and moved from one to the other although it seemed like the
male gave more attention to the one on the ground and the female to those in the
nest. This little one spent the night on the ground for at least several nights
(My neighbour said he found it on the ground at night.)
Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah ACT 2902
02 - 62314041
Saw 1 wattle bird with THREE dependant young at one
spot and another with two.
Also saw a Maggie with a youngster on a wire and
the youngster was about half the adult's size. Most others I have seen
have been as big as the adult. This was very much smaller. Normal
occurance?
Viv
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