G'day Wim and Tones and all,
Despite the total lack of good info on thee initial
email about this?
I'm Alan Knott sure if it was a magpie?
Alan Knott sure which species of magpie?
couldavebeen a Crow?
couldavebeen a Curlywong?
But, dare I add that we have a multi-chewed of birds
that partake in survival against human destruction and
environmental change here in Oz? and they supplement,
what was once their normal diet, now changed by human
actions, with the calcium in egg shells and the
roughage of added feathers.
No one can tell of course how long they have had this
trait here or in NZ? in fact some very small birds
here in Oz live off discarded eggshells.
I've personally seen extremely large birds take small
eggs and vice versa ..... the later being quite
amazing that such a small bird could get away with
such a large egg theft? and the larger bird taking the
wee small egg, then I wondered? why bother mate? the
little chap I saw makes Enron pale into insignificence
re: stealing nest eggs ..... I thionk someone is
wishing? attempting to play at being "GOD", yet again,
and "NOT" looking at their own actions on loss of
small bird numbers and what truly is causing it? ....
lets just blame what has always been blamed, no need
for me to do any study work on this ..... they witches
in Merlin blamed them so we must too.
I wonder how they know they have a need for extra
calcium in their diet this has and still does puzzle
me?
Thank you Wim and Tones for what could be a very good
discussion?
JAG der Whag not playing with WIRES anymore :^D
=======================================================
Original Message -----
From: Wim Vader <>
To: Tony Russell <>
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 18:30
Subject: request for magpie info
11:09 06.02.02 +1030, you wrote:
Hi, two thoughts come immediately to mind:
1) How authenticated are the reports of Magpies
causing problems in the east of Oz. Non informed
reports could be confusing Magpies with Pied
Currawongs which of course do have a bad reputation
for predation on smaller bird species. A non birder
could easily make this error.
2) Here's my lack of knowledge showing up - what sort
of Magpies do they have in NZ? Are they a Gymnorhina
species or those imported Pommie things which also
have a rep for predation and might behave quite
differently?
Tony.
=======================================================
Tony,
The NZ magpies are the Australian species, Gymnorhina
tibicen, introduced long ago. Of ccourse it is not
unheard of that an introduced species causes problems
in its new country that it did not---or to a much
lesser degree---at home.
I should also add that studies in Britain and Finland
have shown that, although European magpies take a lot
of eggs and young, there is absolutely no scientific
evidence, that they are depressing the populations of
smaller garden birds, something they are widely
accused of in Europe. The situation for your
currawongs in Oz
may well be comparable, although I do not know of any
research there.
Wim Vader
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