John Leonard wrote:
> From: "John Leonard" <>
> Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 02:53:40 +0000
> To:
> Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] more unusual Magpie behaviour
>
> Amused to see this morning in suburban Canberra a female Magpie, obviously
> infected with nest-building zeal, trying to disentagle a telephone extension
> cord from a bush in a neighbour's garden. Even she had succeeded in getting
> out of the bush I doubt she could have flown off with it, as it was about 15
> feet long.
>
Alec Chisholm, "Bird Wonders of Australia" (Angus & Robertson, 1948) p. 143:
"The sagacity of birds in "using" humanity - in turning man and his
products to practical account - is manifest also in regard to nesting
material and nesting places. How often do you find scraps of paper, bits of
string, fragments of cloth, cotton-wool, etc. woven into birds' nests. How
often do Magpies in certain areas introduce wire into their nests, sometimes
indeed making the whole structure of metal."
I recall seeing a photo of a magpies nest built entirely of wire, but alas,
I don't now remember what publication it was in. I surmise that it was in
the days of overhead telephone wires and Maggie found a PMG technician at
work and dropping cut ends of wire.
Syd
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