I think the answer for you will be that
Currawongs will attack Magpie chicks to eat them. Yes the motive could simply be pure aggression, but why waste a meal if it presents itself. Typically though they will go
for smaller birds. Of course normally, parent Magpies will be well able to defend their nest against Currawongs or the Currawongs probably would not take the risk of being driven off by parent Magpies but if the parents are not present, it is a very different
situation.
A
stab wound like thing at the back (usually on the head) is typical of Currawong attacks. Have you ruled out Ravens (or maybe a dog or cat) as the perpetrator?
Philip
From: mariko buszynski [
Sent: Wednesday, 28 October 2015 8:23 PM
To: canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Currawong, murderer?
I am a new and quite incompetent wildlife carer. I left three young Magpie babies in the garden. They cannot fly yet but walk. One had a leg injury and cannot walk. I heard Magpie stress calls and Currawong's call. When I went out
to the garden after a few minutes two babies were dead. The smallest one did not have any visible injury and the leg-injured one had a stab wound like thing at the back, blood smeared. The third one was hiding amongst the long grass and escaped.
I did not witness the scene but it has to be a resident Currawong. I do not feed Currawongs, though they pinch some food from Magpie-Larks, but not from Magpies.
My dog was inside the house sleeping away and because of her our garden is free from cats.
I never thought Currawongs would attack Magpie chicks, they are not nestlings. Currawongs would not eat them, then why should they attack them? For that matter, why did I leave babies in the garden? I thought it is good for them to roam
about and get some sun.
I wonder how Magpie parents take care of such babies which are mobile yet not able to fly in the wild.
