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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsScientists Attached Tracking Devices to Magpies. But Nobody Asked The Magpies
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https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-attached-tracking-devices-to-magpies-that-s-when-things-got-weird
When we attached tiny, backpack-like tracking devices to five Australian magpies for a pilot study, we didn't expect to discover an entirely new social behavior rarely seen in birds.
Our goal was to learn more about the movement and social dynamics of these highly intelligent birds, and to test these new, durable and reusable devices. Instead, the birds outsmarted us.
As our new research paper explains, the magpies began showing evidence of cooperative "rescue" behavior to help each other remove the tracker.
While we're familiar with magpies being intelligent and social creatures, this was the first instance we knew of that showed this type of seemingly altruistic behavior: helping another member of the group without getting an immediate, tangible reward.
*snip*
niyad
(113,510 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)"Helping another member of the group without getting an immediate, tangible reward."
Volaris
(10,274 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)soldierant
(6,905 posts)Not more advanced than all of us. Not yet.
live love laugh
(13,124 posts)Beetwasher.
(2,981 posts)Hekate
(90,769 posts)TrogL
(32,822 posts)My yard usually has at least one at any given time.
They play tag with my dog. They attack me on the way to the van. I've seen the dog dig something interesting out of the snow, then one magpie distracts him while the other grabs it.
Well, except for the part about attacking you.
StClone
(11,686 posts)A type of butcherbird, related distantly to the five "real" magpies of more Northern distribution with two in North America. It is by all accounts an even bigger character than our magpies. Check out the videos on Australian Magpie (named by early British explorers because it has a color pattern that is similar to the bird of Britain).
albacore
(2,403 posts)Aussie105
(5,415 posts)They work co-operatively, the older male (?) scopes out the environment, if safe, the others come down to feed off the food I put out.
When the two youngest were first out of the nest mobile, the adults would show them how to eat - graze off grass bugs, hop on the side of the bird feeder, drink the water.
When they initially insisted on being fed mouth to mouth by the adults, the adults would back away and repeat the 'feed yourself' demonstration.
The young ones learnt quickly.
The adults now recognize me by sight.
They are birds, but descended from a long line of very smart dinosaurs.
Disaffected
(4,559 posts)Magpies Smarter Than Magats
Nevilledog
(51,170 posts)LonePirate
(13,429 posts)Humans and birds alike benefited from this experiment.
El Supremo
(20,365 posts)Appropriately named. But they are scavengers.
Aussie105
(5,415 posts)Seeds, insects, grubs, your discarded half eaten fast food hamburger, roadkill - all good food for them.
Get it while you can is their motto.
Part of Mother Natures clean up squad, and one step before scavengers like ants.
Deminpenn
(15,289 posts)Just toss them in the backyard where my crows, and other critters, generally clean them up within minutes.
Skittles
(153,174 posts)magpies be like, fuck this, I'm not wearing this
Nevilledog
(51,170 posts)Aussie105
(5,415 posts)You should hear their swearing when another species of birds encroach on their territory.
Expert swoopers too, the ibis that visit regularly have learnt to duck at the right time.
hatrack
(59,592 posts)Hail, King Raven!!!
Big Blue Marble
(5,119 posts)Magpies remove their trackers, while we voluntarily keep ours in our pockets?
Say again, who is the smartest species?
Aussie105
(5,415 posts)And it isn't humans.
133 species in the Corvid (Crow) family. Now you can't do that level of evolution and specialization by being dumb.
Humans - I'm counting the number of species in the Hominid family, can't get past a very low number. 8 or so.
canetoad
(17,175 posts)The Brit magpies are.
I found the local Koorie name for our local Aussie crows (little ravens) - Waarn. How cool is that?
lunatica
(53,410 posts)I bet they dont drink Koolaid either.
I love Magpie ever since I saw the Australian movie about one who was taken in by a family. Im sure I would be consistently outsmarted by one!
Aussie105
(5,415 posts)Marty the Magpie: Yo! Hang on Fred, you got some sort of big bug on your back.
Here, let me get it off you! Stand still!
Fred says: Thanks Marty! Let me check your back!
canetoad
(17,175 posts)They are clever buggers who live in socialist colonies where the two, three, four year old birds work as a co-operative to raise, educate (and bully) the new borns. They're incredibly easy to train and once they suss out a source of food, they are extrememly bold in asking for a treat.
CaptainTruth
(6,599 posts)They realize it's beneficial to look out for each other.
AllyCat
(16,211 posts)Botany
(70,552 posts)Corvides are very smart.
MontanaMama
(23,334 posts)They steal my chicken eggs. Bastards.
Lars39
(26,110 posts)to a marble egg?
MontanaMama
(23,334 posts)A ceramic egg anyway. Looks identical to my chickens brown eggs they know the difference because they peck a hold in the egg so they can hold on to it when they fly. They steal them to take them to their babies to eat.
Lars39
(26,110 posts)Worth a shot, I guess. My in-laws did the marble trick to get rid of a snake once. :blech:
AllyCat
(16,211 posts)Quixote1818
(28,955 posts)North Shore Chicago
(3,321 posts)This cartoon was one of my faves! These guys were such smart asses!
librechik
(30,676 posts)smaller bird species in the suburban neighborhoods . Not good.