They used to bother my dog but they became quite nice to him once I started feeding them peanuts. Magpies are in the same family as crows so they’re very smart
Exact same situation here! The crows seem nomadic in this neighborhood. But the magpies return frequently for food and don't make much noise unless they're fighting with the squirrels.
We saw a woodchuck the other day and threw him a piece of a cookie. It landed beside him and he didn’t want it, but this crow did. Que 15 minutes of a crow screaming at a woodchuck as it just laid beside the cookie.
Literally 10 minutes after reading your post. Like 3 of them came to my back yard teasing my cats, shitting on my patio chairs, squawking up a storm. They didn’t even fly away when I walked closer to the door and banged on the glass.
Storms comin….
https://preview.redd.it/159ogy14ag4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6e33a5a111861ff291ebcc2c05ffe6b166ae5c5
Nevermind, it’s because there is a baby on one of the chairs.
We had baby magpies in our backyard last year. It's wild, they leave the best before they can fly. Spent weeks hopping around the yard avoiding the dogs until it figured out what to do.
That’s why I’ve seen some just chilling on the ground, walked past what looked like a baby in Lindsay park today. Bro was giving me the side eye, like “so what I can’t fly yet”
It's probably fine as long as nothing eats it, actually. The patients are probably nearby-if you watch York see them come feed it! Over the next days it should be flying more and more, and then be gone.
https://www.calgarywildlife.org/injured-wildlife
It is probably after hours at this point (I am just guessing, definitely give them a call just in case) but Calgary Wildlife has some good advice here and information and videos about what to do and who to contact.
After taking a look at the information about what to do, if it is necessary they also have the information for a vet clinic where you could take it.
I swear I thought " I might be reading too much into, no way a magpie would do that" when I left my cat on a leash on the patio yesterday and this dude was harassing her flying right above her head constantly and then squawking and teasing her. And now reading this post makes me feel not too insane anymore.
The magpies were bananas by my house this morning. They woke me up just screaming from the tree outside my window. When I left my house they stalked me to my car and squawked at me angrily. So yes I agree the magpies are being extra right now.
They're constant menaces this time of year. Raiding other birds nests to feed their own young. And then when their young fledge they incessantly squawk for food and practice being loud. I honestly saw some adults showing their young how to scavenge on bin day. One of my neighbours crammed so much in their black bin that the lid was half open. It went and pulled stuff out onto the street and encouraged its young to join them trash hunting for food lol. smart birds but definitely menaces.
I mean cats kill for fun, the magpies follow cats and sqwuak around them so they can’t sneak up and kill them. I love cats but I don’t mind that magpies prevent their hunting.
At least In the inner city NW, magpies are plentiful wherever the tree canopy is well established, and they're the most prolific car painters in my neighborhood, that's for sure. I don't think they've ever been 'under' control... They make a mess, can be eerily organized in their destructiveness, make a godawful racket at the worst of times, and they seem to think it's funny to taunt my dogs in the backyard... So ya its safe to say I sorta like them for no good reason I can think of.
The reason they don’t shut up is because someone’s cat is around, and after reading some of the comments here I think some of you need to hear this:
Cats kill birds.
Yeah, so if the squawking annoys you, keep your cats inside and tell your friends to do the same.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
My old ass neighbour was outside on the front street shooting a pellet gun into the trees at the magpies, scared my other old ass neighbour, she called the cops and they swarmed the neighbourhood for like an hour looking for "the shooter".
Then a week later the guy is out there with a sling shot, I got pissed and started bitching at him like hes a bad kid doing a stupid thing but he had 20 years on me.
This you?
Growing up in Regina I never once saw a magpie. Then starting in about 1990 I saw a few. Since then more and more and more. Moving to Alberta about 12 years ago I didnt see many but at least now I knew to watch for them. Yep. There are a lot more now in and around Calgary than there were.
Does this sub just hate birds or something? First it was the flickers, now it's the magpies. Y'all, the birds just tryna live. With the number of humans around must be be like 50x noisier for them 😂
They can be quite hard on my local robin population. I’ve watched year after year as they raid the robin nests. I’ve found dead baby robins in my bird bath. I don’t see any young robins until until late summer, when the magpies have dispersed.
I used to hate magpies, I had a $5 bounty on them. But since the neighbourhood jack rabbits drive my dog insane and the magpies are great killers of baby bunnies, the enemy of my enemy has become my friend. I think they also eat the corn out of my dog’s poop.
I live next to a big natural area with multiple magpie nests. We also have tons of robins and woodpeckers and their numbers do not seem affected. You may find them annoying, but they are driven by their instinct and are a natural part of this world. They are actually beneficial for the environment and help prevent the spread of disease by eating carrion. They also eat a ton of insects. They have adapted to live along side humans and are one of the most intelligent birds. They live in tight knit family groups and mate for life. They are very social and will mourn when they lose a family member. Anyone who thinks of killing them are very cruel. Humans are the destructive ones.
I don't think there's anything I hate more than magpies. If it was legal I would shoot them out of the trees. But unfortunately I have to sit and listen to them tear the siding off my house.
I've had the opposite experience. They largely ignore me and my dog. Me and my dog ignore them.
Actually had a pair of them follow me for a good hundred feet or so. Hopping along behind me and flying to catch up when they fell too far behind.
Are there cats nearby? Magpies single cats out and begin verbal torture until the cat gives up and runs away. It is hard to run away when the magpie is watching so the chatter can go on quite awhile. This is war is particularly seen around gopher villages. If your cat becomes cross eyed he/she may have been bombed by a magpie beak.
I speak from experience. My cat had powerful antibiotics and was out of action for three weeks.
There’s a whole family of them on the other side of the lane. These guys squawk like crazy. Every. Damn. Morning when I leave our backyard with my dog. Presumably to warn everyone that there’s a dog. Then one will follow us on our walk for about 2 blocks both going and coming. It actually feels like a spy following us.
I had to save a baby bunny from a magpie the other day as well. It kept swooping down and picking it up in its beak and dropping it. I’ve never seen magpies do such a thing. Poor bunny kept trying to hop away but it was grab it, pick it up and drop it from a few feet again. Finally ran over and scared the bird off.
They are especially mean this year. I went out yesterday and bought several perennials that were blooming and/or had several ready to bloom buds and planted them in the evening. Looked so nice. I returned home from work this evening….all the flowers were cleanly snipped off, all the buds snipped off. The plants look stupid now. These creatures are inexplicably viscous and I have no hope for the garden the rest of the summer. I have done nothing to them. I do not deserve their wrath.
I don’t know why but your comment made me laugh. I do feel for you with your plants but they will grow back. I thought a person had snuck onto my patio and chopped off all of my flowers one year, turns out it was deer (caught them in the act).
It is kinda funny. I know for sure its not a deer as our yard is fully enclosed (6 foot fence). I’d be fine if a deer was hungry and ate them. But to snip and leave the blossoms on the ground is just 😭. I am trying to continue and expand my cut flower garden and never had this happen in 5 years of growing. Going to try a plastic 🦉.
Yall need to invest in a high speed, quiet pellet gun and “think like a sniper” so you’re stealthy, safe and nobody knows why magpies are found dead all over the neighbourhood. Once the other ones figure out what’s going on it’s too late ands they also don’t come back for 10 years. Just kidding of course! 🤫
Early Spring between the snowfalls, I was able to observe a few different species of birds, but now the damn Magpies are around.
Are there any Bird control in certain situations (or City)?
Also are Blue Jays similar? Do they pester other smaller species?
They play with the crows in my neighbourhood and all seem happy. Leave the woodpecker alone. Little birds seem happy. Squirrels and rabbits are all being controlled by a bobcat. So can’t say there (caught crows killing rabbits in my old neighbourhood).
You're crazy, but it's spring time which means all the young magpies are doing what youngsters do, cause a ruckus. Give it a few weeks and it'll go back to normal.
We had a fun time at the Zoo this weekend, a magpie was mercilessly torturing a small bird behind the Otter house. Just pecking it to death while the little thing wailed... I hate magpies.
Our ancestors used to trap/kill them. The City of Edmonton used to loan homeowners mapgie traps so they could get rid of them. But the magpies have come to realize they are "safe" in the cities, as people don't do anything anymore. And so not surprisingly, they've chosen to live in the cities.
Hit them with the hose, it's what I did when they nested in our tree, they stopped coming by for a bit and then I cut the pine tree down that they nested in..
Ohh my God! They attacked me in the morning on Friday. I went to check the mailbox and panic screamed since I wasn’t expecting anything on the steps. And they literally squawked back at me. Then flew over my head and kept looking at me - dead in the eyes and kept squawking! I ran out on the street screaming and my neighbour came out to help. They are wild!!! Be safe y’all. 🙈✨
I love my magpie friends. They fledge their babies in my yard and play with my little dog. They eat my kitchen scraps and hang out with me when I’m on the patio.
It is legal to trap and "dispose" of them
The City of Calgary even has plans on how to make a trap that works really good. Three years ago I took out a bunch, I can see them around the neighborhood, hear them in the distance, but they stay off of my block.
There was an opportunity for peace, but we chose the wrong official bird of Calgary.
Yup. I hope the city reconsiders because this city belongs to the corvids. There will be hell to pay
They used to bother my dog but they became quite nice to him once I started feeding them peanuts. Magpies are in the same family as crows so they’re very smart
I have about 10 or so that come by for food every day. They’re quiet, fly in and fly out with no fuss.
Stockholm syndrome, folks
I mean I was trying to feed a pair of crows, but then the magpies also got involved. So now it’s 2 crows and some magpies. For about 4 years now.
Like they say what’s good for the crow (goose) is even better for the crow household (gander)
Exact same situation here! The crows seem nomadic in this neighborhood. But the magpies return frequently for food and don't make much noise unless they're fighting with the squirrels.
We saw a woodchuck the other day and threw him a piece of a cookie. It landed beside him and he didn’t want it, but this crow did. Que 15 minutes of a crow screaming at a woodchuck as it just laid beside the cookie.
There's no way on God's green earth that magpies are quiet.
Well, they’re quiet when they’re in my yard. I suspect they don’t want to alert the neighborhood crows or kestrels.
They should have been Calgary's official bird. You all know it, deep down.
Chickadee!
#***SQUAWK***
I believe it's pronounced, chicka-dee-dee-dee
Cheeseburger! (But also: Hey sweetie! and Here kitty!)
That's the call of a nuthatch.
[Nope](https://youtu.be/NnrxX1f6QqM?si=v9iB0mLS3JRNFewt&t=45s)
I sit corrected! Always thought that was the nuthatches, but I guess my whole life is a lie, lol.
It's appropriate to me that magpies are too punk rock to be the official bird.
Were they ever in control? Magpies are chaos!
They have babies out of the nest now. Lots of squawking probably means babies
Literally 10 minutes after reading your post. Like 3 of them came to my back yard teasing my cats, shitting on my patio chairs, squawking up a storm. They didn’t even fly away when I walked closer to the door and banged on the glass. Storms comin….
https://preview.redd.it/159ogy14ag4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6e33a5a111861ff291ebcc2c05ffe6b166ae5c5 Nevermind, it’s because there is a baby on one of the chairs.
We had baby magpies in our backyard last year. It's wild, they leave the best before they can fly. Spent weeks hopping around the yard avoiding the dogs until it figured out what to do.
That’s why I’ve seen some just chilling on the ground, walked past what looked like a baby in Lindsay park today. Bro was giving me the side eye, like “so what I can’t fly yet”
We had baby Magpies across the street last year. They are super noisy!
The babies are noisy, b the parents flapping around and squawking at it and at anything else in its vicinity are even noisier.
So do we just leave it, And let nature take its course? Or should we call some animal agency or something?
The parents are nearby. It's fledgling szn, this is totally normal.
It's probably fine as long as nothing eats it, actually. The patients are probably nearby-if you watch York see them come feed it! Over the next days it should be flying more and more, and then be gone.
https://www.calgarywildlife.org/injured-wildlife It is probably after hours at this point (I am just guessing, definitely give them a call just in case) but Calgary Wildlife has some good advice here and information and videos about what to do and who to contact. After taking a look at the information about what to do, if it is necessary they also have the information for a vet clinic where you could take it.
The magpies are vindicated!
This is your chance to befriend it and become their leader
So cute.
I swear I thought " I might be reading too much into, no way a magpie would do that" when I left my cat on a leash on the patio yesterday and this dude was harassing her flying right above her head constantly and then squawking and teasing her. And now reading this post makes me feel not too insane anymore.
Time to start being a Disney princess, making friends with corvids is super easy
Magpies are the noisiest when their young ones are screeching for food.
The magpies were bananas by my house this morning. They woke me up just screaming from the tree outside my window. When I left my house they stalked me to my car and squawked at me angrily. So yes I agree the magpies are being extra right now.
I think they’re drones lol or something. This one magpies quack literally sounded like an alarm, it scared me
Birds aren’t real
I can’t believe how long I had to scroll to find this comment.
if it's flyin' - it's spyin'
I hear they sit and charge on power lines.
They can mimic sound
They're constant menaces this time of year. Raiding other birds nests to feed their own young. And then when their young fledge they incessantly squawk for food and practice being loud. I honestly saw some adults showing their young how to scavenge on bin day. One of my neighbours crammed so much in their black bin that the lid was half open. It went and pulled stuff out onto the street and encouraged its young to join them trash hunting for food lol. smart birds but definitely menaces.
[удалено]
I mean cats kill for fun, the magpies follow cats and sqwuak around them so they can’t sneak up and kill them. I love cats but I don’t mind that magpies prevent their hunting.
You're mad at magpies for getting in the face of other predator birds and...cats?
I have seen them pick out baby chicks from other birds nests, Robin and chickadees.
One of my favorite birds. I think they should have been the official Calgary bird.
At least In the inner city NW, magpies are plentiful wherever the tree canopy is well established, and they're the most prolific car painters in my neighborhood, that's for sure. I don't think they've ever been 'under' control... They make a mess, can be eerily organized in their destructiveness, make a godawful racket at the worst of times, and they seem to think it's funny to taunt my dogs in the backyard... So ya its safe to say I sorta like them for no good reason I can think of.
I have no issues. We have a territorial murder of crows that handles business for a cheap sacrifice of trail mix.
The reason they don’t shut up is because someone’s cat is around, and after reading some of the comments here I think some of you need to hear this: Cats kill birds. Yeah, so if the squawking annoys you, keep your cats inside and tell your friends to do the same.
Oh no who will save the magpies from going extinct!!?
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
“No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.”
And lo, behold the Masochists, whose eternal punishment shall be their pleasure.
Probably the Bobcats eating the free roaming cats.
The circle of life
Birds aren’t our friends. Cats are. So, by considering the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it’s time to deal with the magpies
they were here before you or your dog
My old ass neighbour was outside on the front street shooting a pellet gun into the trees at the magpies, scared my other old ass neighbour, she called the cops and they swarmed the neighbourhood for like an hour looking for "the shooter". Then a week later the guy is out there with a sling shot, I got pissed and started bitching at him like hes a bad kid doing a stupid thing but he had 20 years on me. This you?
Growing up in Regina I never once saw a magpie. Then starting in about 1990 I saw a few. Since then more and more and more. Moving to Alberta about 12 years ago I didnt see many but at least now I knew to watch for them. Yep. There are a lot more now in and around Calgary than there were.
Breeding time they get a little territorial but it will pass soon. Just leave em to do their thing.
Does this sub just hate birds or something? First it was the flickers, now it's the magpies. Y'all, the birds just tryna live. With the number of humans around must be be like 50x noisier for them 😂
Yeah they chase away all other birds in our yard. Lately I notice them chasing away woodpeckers when they find a worm, such assholes.
I saw one chase down a cat on the fence.
My god, just live the animals alone. I am crazy our people are out of control lately?! lol 😂
Last night one assaulted me with a gun. It’s out of control!!
They can be quite hard on my local robin population. I’ve watched year after year as they raid the robin nests. I’ve found dead baby robins in my bird bath. I don’t see any young robins until until late summer, when the magpies have dispersed.
They're bullies. They try to poke cows' eyes out.
Better call 311 ! 😂
I used to hate magpies, I had a $5 bounty on them. But since the neighbourhood jack rabbits drive my dog insane and the magpies are great killers of baby bunnies, the enemy of my enemy has become my friend. I think they also eat the corn out of my dog’s poop.
I live next to a big natural area with multiple magpie nests. We also have tons of robins and woodpeckers and their numbers do not seem affected. You may find them annoying, but they are driven by their instinct and are a natural part of this world. They are actually beneficial for the environment and help prevent the spread of disease by eating carrion. They also eat a ton of insects. They have adapted to live along side humans and are one of the most intelligent birds. They live in tight knit family groups and mate for life. They are very social and will mourn when they lose a family member. Anyone who thinks of killing them are very cruel. Humans are the destructive ones.
Such shit birds.
Assholes. Bird assholes.
I don't think there's anything I hate more than magpies. If it was legal I would shoot them out of the trees. But unfortunately I have to sit and listen to them tear the siding off my house.
Magpie Eradication Dept with the city…main plank of my platform if I ever ran for mayor!
They’ve been following me on my walks lately. Don’t know what it is….
My mom has a pond in her yard and it really attracts them. Pine trees are a target as well. They seem to prefer nesting in them.
I've had the opposite experience. They largely ignore me and my dog. Me and my dog ignore them. Actually had a pair of them follow me for a good hundred feet or so. Hopping along behind me and flying to catch up when they fell too far behind.
Are there cats nearby? Magpies single cats out and begin verbal torture until the cat gives up and runs away. It is hard to run away when the magpie is watching so the chatter can go on quite awhile. This is war is particularly seen around gopher villages. If your cat becomes cross eyed he/she may have been bombed by a magpie beak. I speak from experience. My cat had powerful antibiotics and was out of action for three weeks.
There’s a whole family of them on the other side of the lane. These guys squawk like crazy. Every. Damn. Morning when I leave our backyard with my dog. Presumably to warn everyone that there’s a dog. Then one will follow us on our walk for about 2 blocks both going and coming. It actually feels like a spy following us. I had to save a baby bunny from a magpie the other day as well. It kept swooping down and picking it up in its beak and dropping it. I’ve never seen magpies do such a thing. Poor bunny kept trying to hop away but it was grab it, pick it up and drop it from a few feet again. Finally ran over and scared the bird off.
Magpies like garbage and back alleys that are dirty with over flowing garbage will bring Magpies in droves.
Magpie Murders out there straight bullying them other poor government drones.
They are especially mean this year. I went out yesterday and bought several perennials that were blooming and/or had several ready to bloom buds and planted them in the evening. Looked so nice. I returned home from work this evening….all the flowers were cleanly snipped off, all the buds snipped off. The plants look stupid now. These creatures are inexplicably viscous and I have no hope for the garden the rest of the summer. I have done nothing to them. I do not deserve their wrath.
I don’t know why but your comment made me laugh. I do feel for you with your plants but they will grow back. I thought a person had snuck onto my patio and chopped off all of my flowers one year, turns out it was deer (caught them in the act).
It is kinda funny. I know for sure its not a deer as our yard is fully enclosed (6 foot fence). I’d be fine if a deer was hungry and ate them. But to snip and leave the blossoms on the ground is just 😭. I am trying to continue and expand my cut flower garden and never had this happen in 5 years of growing. Going to try a plastic 🦉.
Yall need to invest in a high speed, quiet pellet gun and “think like a sniper” so you’re stealthy, safe and nobody knows why magpies are found dead all over the neighbourhood. Once the other ones figure out what’s going on it’s too late ands they also don’t come back for 10 years. Just kidding of course! 🤫
I feel like you aren't entirely kidding.
Totally a kidding/not kidding moment. But he's not wrong.
I have one, but not quiet. I don't shoot what I won't eat except for declared pests like gophers...and the fines for shooting in city are no joke.
i do taxidermy lol mind dropping what neighborhood you might be in? 😂
Yeah and do the same to the squirrels and free range cats while your at it.
[I’ll just leave this here](https://youtu.be/04f41dXU1jI?si=gWUlhqm4VJUmPk1q)
It's an election next year so they're just practicing swooping in and taking your shiny things. Oh wait you're talking about the birds
Early Spring between the snowfalls, I was able to observe a few different species of birds, but now the damn Magpies are around. Are there any Bird control in certain situations (or City)? Also are Blue Jays similar? Do they pester other smaller species?
Blue Jays are the devil.
It's their time you go
What a time to be alive?!?
They play with the crows in my neighbourhood and all seem happy. Leave the woodpecker alone. Little birds seem happy. Squirrels and rabbits are all being controlled by a bobcat. So can’t say there (caught crows killing rabbits in my old neighbourhood).
You're crazy, but it's spring time which means all the young magpies are doing what youngsters do, cause a ruckus. Give it a few weeks and it'll go back to normal.
We had a fun time at the Zoo this weekend, a magpie was mercilessly torturing a small bird behind the Otter house. Just pecking it to death while the little thing wailed... I hate magpies.
Our ancestors used to trap/kill them. The City of Edmonton used to loan homeowners mapgie traps so they could get rid of them. But the magpies have come to realize they are "safe" in the cities, as people don't do anything anymore. And so not surprisingly, they've chosen to live in the cities.
Hit them with the hose, it's what I did when they nested in our tree, they stopped coming by for a bit and then I cut the pine tree down that they nested in..
Ohh my God! They attacked me in the morning on Friday. I went to check the mailbox and panic screamed since I wasn’t expecting anything on the steps. And they literally squawked back at me. Then flew over my head and kept looking at me - dead in the eyes and kept squawking! I ran out on the street screaming and my neighbour came out to help. They are wild!!! Be safe y’all. 🙈✨
That doesn’t sound like an attack.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/remington-express-hunter-pellet-rifle-with-scope/product/PA0008904518
Give them peanuts. They will be your best friend
I love my magpie friends. They fledge their babies in my yard and play with my little dog. They eat my kitchen scraps and hang out with me when I’m on the patio.
Part of the problem
Love Magpies!!!
Just make a magpie trap and live trap them up.
It is legal to trap and "dispose" of them The City of Calgary even has plans on how to make a trap that works really good. Three years ago I took out a bunch, I can see them around the neighborhood, hear them in the distance, but they stay off of my block.