From springtime nesting season to summer, autumn and winter, you can see or hear Australian magpies in cities, country towns and regional areas across the country. In fact, this iconic native bird is found in most parts of Australia and even southern New Guinea, except for areas like dense forest and arid deserts. And if you’ve got a pair or family that visits your yard, you might be wondering what magpies eat and if you can feed them.
So, here’s the lowdown on how magpies find food on their own, their relationship with humans and what to keep in mind of you do want to feed them – including some important details on what not to feed them.
Magpies are natural foragers and friends of our gardens
If you’re out in a park, on the golf course or pottering in the garden, particularly during spring, chances are you will spot a magpie or two foraging for food on the ground or hear their unique bird call at dawn and dusk, which experts claim is the most complex call of any bird.
While magpies have a dubious reputation for swooping humans and animals during nesting season, wildlife experts say magpies are actually one of the most sensitive, intelligent bird species which can develop a very close affinity with human beings.
Shannon Maguire from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary told Better Homes and Gardens that there are benefits to having magpies in the garden due to their sweet song, their affection towards people they know and their ability to keep pests like snails away from your favourite roses and flowers.
Like most animal species, magpies are susceptible to some types of diseases however experts say it is unlikely diseases would ever be transferred to humans.
What do magpies eat?
Magpies mostly feed on insects and small animals, including earthworms, spiders, beetles and even small lizards. While they are very good at foraging for food in the wild, they will often approach humans for food too.
Can you feed magpies?
If you want to befriend magpies, feeding them is one option. But it’s very important to make sure the food won’t harm them in the long-term as some human food isn’t ideal.
It’s also important that the birds don’t become reliant on you. In his book Feeding the Birds at Your Table, Darryl Jones discusses the importance of only feeding them a small amount, so it’s a snack, rather than a whole meal. As magpies are similar to kookaburras in their natural diets, you could consider something like mealworms or crickets bought from a pet store.
What you shouldn’t feed magpies
Another view is that people should never feed any wild birds.
In fact, Maguire says it is important that people refrain from feeding magpies unless they have a permit.
“People do feed them in their backyards but technically they are doing the wrong thing,” she explains.
“The main things people will feed them is mince or dog kibble but both are not good for magpies. Mince is too high in different nutrient levels – often too much fat – as in the wild, they are feeding on leaner foods.”
Jones also says mince is a bad option because it lacks calcium. This can lead to weaker bones in magpies, as they will draw calcium from their own bones to make up for what’s missing in their diet.
One of the reasons he wrote Feeding the Birds at Your Table is to make sure people are aware of how to feed birds in the safest and healthiest way (if you want to feed them).
What else to keep in mind
Beyond what you actually feed them, Maguire says magpies can become territorial around people and other bird species when regularly encouraged into a garden with food.
So, if you enjoy backyard visits from rosellas, rainbow lorikeets and parrots, it’s not a good idea to encourage the local magpies.
Despite their reputation for swooping on unsuspecting cyclists or dog owners in the parks, Maguire says magpies are mostly non-aggressive and only get territorial when they deem a person or animal is too close to one of their nesting sites.
In fact, Maguire says these Aussie birds are so intelligent, they can reportedly recognise 100 human faces which they store away as someone who is a threat to their nest or someone who is not.
Even if they don’t see the person until the next breeding season, they will target those ‘threatening’ people.
Maguire says generally, magpies will fly low and fast over a person and flap their wings and clack their beaks as they pass by to issue a warning but will very rarely strike the intruder or cause physical injury.
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