Did you know flamingoes are pink on the inside as well as the outside? Or how about the wild bird that’s over 70 years old? And have you ever wondered why woodpeckers don’t get concussion from their never-ending pecking? We’ve rounded up some of the most extraordinary facts about birds and their fascinating world….. 32 […]
Tag: Magpies
Australia’s magpie swooping season returns with a vengeance – and cyclists are their main targets
If you’re a cyclist, you’re not imagining it – the magpies really are after you. Statistics for the Australian magpies’ 2025 breeding season show almost two in three swooping attacks are on cyclists. And the best thing to do? Slow down. Get off the bike and walk, even. Step away from the nest, if you […]
When a sick possum showed up in my garden my heart overtook my head. Is it ever OK to feed urban wildlife?
Chopping vegetables in my kitchen on a winter afternoon, I was startled by the sound of rustling branches and loud coughing coming from my back yard. I walked outside tentatively, prepared to face a fence-hopping intruder. Instead, after a few minutes of listening to evenly timed wheezes, I spotted it – a small brushtail possum, […]
Bird-shooting event legal despite complaints, provincial minister says
A “crow and magpie shoot” event that’s been the subject of numerous complaints to the province is legal and can go ahead as planned, Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie told reporters Wednesday. The event, scheduled for Saturday, is hosted by the Woodlands & District Wildlife Association, a club in the Interlake. A poster advertising the […]
Kenya revives poisoning campaign to curb invasive Indian house crows
NAIROBI ― Introduced to East Africa in 1891, in Zanzibar, to deal with domestic food waste, Indian house crows are now wreaking havoc in Kenya: killing native small birds, likely spreading disease, damaging food crops, and generally being a nuisance at tourist spots, open-space parties and businesses. The country is now battling millions of invasive […]
Shrinking trees and tuskless elephants: the strange ways species are adapting to humans
From the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean, humanity’s influence has touched every part of planet Earth. Many plants and animals are evolving in response, adapting to a human-dominated world. One notable example came during the Industrial Revolution, when the peppered moth turned from black and white to entirely black after soot darkened […]
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 […]
Why don’t Tasmanian magpies swoop people? It’s not black and white
In Tasmania, no one has to wear an ice-cream container with eyes on their head when magpies are breeding. That’s because the magpies there don’t swoop – and no one knows why. Magpie Alert, a website that tracks and maps swoops and any resultant injuries, shows 3,271 reported swoopings and 426 injuries around Australia so […]