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© Copyright 1997, Jim Loy
As I walked by a tree today, I heard the loud squawking sound of a magpie in the tree. Then there was a similar, fainter sound, that sounded like a second magpie from the same tree. Then there was some of the "talking" sound that magpies make, a kind of mumbling in a bird voice. The various voices alternated so that it sounded like four or five magpies in the tree. How many magpies were there?
As far as I could determine, there was only one magpie in that tree. Only one magpie flew out of the tree. Then there were no further sounds from that tree. It seems that only one magpie was doing all those bird voices, by itself, a magpie Rich Little.
I can imagine that there is survival value in that deception. I suppose a predator may be discouraged by a whole herd (school) of magpies. [By the way, I know they are a "flock" of magpies. I jokingly call them a herd, in protest against those made-up collective nouns like "an exaltation of larks," which is just a way of turning an interesting, poetic phrase into a cliche.] I wonder if other people have noticed magpies doing these multiple bird imitations.
Note: The above was not a rigorous experiment. After one magpie left the tree, I did not search the tree for the many (?) remaining magpies which had now turned strangely silent. So, the behavior, that I report above, may not actually happen.
I have seen (and heard) a cat being harrassed by magpies. One bird would land near the cat. The cat would stalk it. The magpie would fly up to a tree or fence. And a second magpie would land near the cat, etc. About ten magpies were involved. The cat eventually looked very embarrassed, and walked away. I also saw a dog in a similar situation. The dog, however, was not embarrassed, and gleefully bounded after each magpie in turn. I'm sure he thanked them, when he left.
Magpies are reportedly among the most intelligent of birds, with crows being smarter yet. I suppose parrots are also fairly intelligent. Reportedly, all three can be taught to talk.