Last year a friend had a family of magpies in her garden. She described
behaviour that I was hard pushed to say was consistent with either 'anting' or
'sunbathing' . On many days she reported seeing one or more lying on their
sides or on their backs with their legs in the air. The wings were never
outstretched. Her first concern was that they were sick, but when approached
they just got up and walked away. All members of the family participated in the
activity.
Judith
Judith Hoyle,
Brisbane QLD
0437549301
leg> Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:36:11 +1100
> From:
> To: ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Strange Magpie behaviour
>
> The Magpies were sun-bathing - why, I don't know. Last week I
> photographed one in Heidelberg, which was lying on a bare steep patch of
> ground, as if quite dead, except it turned its head to check me when I
> pointed the camera at it. I shall put the photo up on the BOCA site.
>
> I have also seen Blackbirds and Starlings do this with wings spread out
> and beaks gaping. In all cases they seemed in a strange state, as if
> hypnotized or unconscious, but were in fact perfectly capable of moving
> if approached.
>
> Anthea Fleming
>
>
>
>
>
> On 28/11/2010 10:02 PM, Rob Geraghty wrote:
> > In the last couple of weeks in completely different parts of Canberra, I've
> > seen a Magpie standing
>
> on the ground in the sun, head stretched out and tilted to one side,
> beak open... motionless. The birds both looked petrified as in turned
> to stone, not afraid! Mesmerised by something perhaps? They were both
> very much alive and capable of flying away.
> >
> > Does anyone have any idea what this behaviour may be?
> >
> > Rob
> > =======
> > Rob Geraghty
> >
> >
> >
> >
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