Teetering on the brink of extinction, Indonesia’s Javan green magpie may have a conservation lifeline after national and international conservation NGOs launched an action plan to preserve it in the wild. Javan green magpies (Cissa thalassina) are endemic to the upland forests of West Java province, but have been assessed as critically endangered, with as few as […]
Tag: Magpie
Crow vs raven: what’s the difference between these two very similar-looking black birds?
The crow family, corvidae, includes some unmistakable characters. It’s hard to confuse a magpie with anything else. The same goes for a jay. But for every colourful corvid, there are many others whose wardrobes are uniformly funereal. Distinguishing the predominantly black corvids of Britain and Ireland – carrion crow, rook, raven, chough and jackdaw – usually requires looking beyond the […]
Songbird trade threatens lesser-known ‘master birds’ with secondary extinctions: Study
Increasing demand for songbirds is raising the risk of “secondary extinctions” of so-called “master birds” in Southeast Asia, conservationists warn. While these birds never enter the region’s songbird singing competitions, they have unique qualities to their songs. When caged near songbirds, elements of their calls can be learned, says Vincent Nijman, lead author of research documenting their […]
Crows Never Forget the Faces They Don’t Like, Study Shows
A person who angers a crow might be remembered for years. These intelligent black birds can spot a face once, recall it perfectly, and even warn others about it. They do not forgive easily, and they do not forget. Scientists have long known that corvids — the family that includes crows, ravens, and magpies — […]
‘It proves this can be done’: Berlin the blueprint to bring goshawks to UK cities
Firing off rapid keck-keck-keck cries that rang out through a park in central Berlin, the goshawks soared high above the trees and circled before swooping down to chase off a ragtag bunch of crows that had begun to mob them from below. “It’s basically a flying Batman bringing law and order to the city,” said […]
Concern over ‘cruel’ fox traps on Black Mountain
A wildlife conservationist has spoken of his “heartbreak” after finding makeshift fox traps on Belfast’s Black Mountain. Aaron Kelly said the traps were made out of old shopping trollies and hidden on privately-owned land overlooking the city. One was baited with a dead magpie on a lever which would slam the trapdoor shut behind any […]
Years After She Saved a Magpie it Returns the Favor Saving Her Life After She Fell from Window
When Sandie Gillard fell from a two-story window, the impact knocked the senior citizen unconscious, a state that may have become permanent if not for the intervention of a very small, very unlikely hero. Lightly tapping on her head, a bird named Jellybean roused its former caregiver enough that she could call her husband, who […]
Molly the Magpie and Dogs Face Uncertain Future After Court Decision
A magpie known as Molly, famous for his friendship with dogs Peggy and Ruby, may be separated from them again following a court ruling. The Supreme Court has revoked a special license allowing Molly to remain with his rescuers, Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, just months after it was granted. Molly’s story began in 2020 […]