Magpie behaviour - is this unusual?

[Philip Veerman <>]

Hard to know but I suggest:       The 2^nd bird’s presence was irrelevant to the behaviour you are describing of the 1^st bird, (you suggest it as such), even though they very likely are part of the same family group. As suggested by them departing together.  The 1^st bird may well have been doing something related to plumage maintenance. It seems like a variant on the wide range of behaviours connected to anting or just dust bathing. Unlikely to be mating behaviour or begging for food.

 

Philip

 

From: Roy Harvey [
Sent: Wednesday, 29 March, 2017 1:01 PM
To: canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Magpie behaviour - is this unusual?

 

I was in Fyshwick this morning and saw two (apparently) adult magpies about two metres apart - almost facing in opposite directions.

 

One of the magpies was sitting with its belly on the almost ground, beak almost vertically up, chest feather fluffed up, and wagging its tail quickly from side to side. The other bird was standing and not taking much interest. After tail wagging for a minute or so both birds flew off.

 

Was this mating behaviour, begging for food? 

 

In decades of watching magpies I've never seen anything like this display.

 

 

Any ideas? 

 

Roy