As winter sets in, my bird feeder has become a busy spot, but none are as bold as the Eurasian magpies (Pica pica). These black-and-white birds often arrive in groups, their loud calls signaling their dominance. When they swoop in, smaller birds like sparrows and finches scatter—magpies make sure they get first pick of the food.
Interestingly, magpies don’t like to come too close to the house. Instead, they gather around my open compost, which is perfectly acceptable in the countryside. They seem to enjoy rummaging through the scraps, always in a group.
While they might be intimidating to the other visitors, their intelligence and confidence are fascinating to watch. Magpies may take over the feeder, but I’ve learned to appreciate their energy and place in the winter birdwatching scene.
Ilze
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
They look very similar to ours, which are predators of smaller birds and their eggs.
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Yes, they do! Pica Pica are quite resourceful and opportunistic. While they’re known for their striking appearance, their predatory habits can certainly make them a nuisance to smaller birds. Nature always seems to find a balance, though, doesn’t it? 😊
I think I counted around 20 sparrows… I might need 10kg of seeds to feed all of them 🙂
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Here it is cyclical. One year magpies and very few little birds; the next, little birds back, magpies gone.
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That’s so interesting! Why do you think it’s so cyclical? Is it something to do with food availability or nesting competition?
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The magpies eat the eggs and babies
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True, but then… if the little birds return and the magpies disappear, who’s eating the magpies? 🤔
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🙂 Maybe they are cannibalistic
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Oh, he is lovely. I definitely don’t have those at my feeder. My biggest bullies are the hawks. They swoop in and land on the roof, terrorizing the other birds.
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He really is! 😊 Hawks can be so intimidating for the smaller birds. It must be quite a sight to see them swooping in like that. We don’t have many hawks around here—they don’t come too close to the house, luckily. At least they’re impressive to watch, even if they’re a bit of a challenge for the other birds! Do you have any tips for helping the smaller ones stay safe?
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I wish I did. The hawks fear nothing. Not even me!
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I asked my friend, who is an avid birdwatcher, for advice. She suggested placing the feeder closer to bushes or other areas where birds can easily hide. 😊
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I love the green and blue colors in your Magpie’s. It too is very similar to the Black-billed Magpie I have coming to my feeder recently. They too like the peanut suet I put out in late Fall and Winter. They do make all the Sparrows and Quail squatter!
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Thank you! 😊 I’m glad you like the green and blue in the Eurasian Magpies—they really have such a beautiful sheen to them. Have you noticed if the smaller birds return once the Magpies move on, or do they stay away for a while? I have two feeders and I’m thinking about adding more 🙂
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The Sparrows and Quail return pretty quickly after the Magpies move on. I only have one Suet feeder. My neighbors on either side of me also put out feeders. They use seed feeders so between the three of us we’re getting a lot of activity. We can see the birds that hit all 3 feeders in the trees and bushes so, I’m not going to add another feeder. I think your neighbors are further away from you so another feeder would interesting to see what type of birds it brings in. Would you use a different type of food?
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Yes, my neighbors are a bit further away… about 200 meters… I might try a different type of food—maybe something like lard with sunflower seeds or peace of pork belly – skin + fat. To see if it attracts different species. It would be interesting to see what comes around! Do you find that certain types of food bring in different birds?
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There are different seed blends that attract different birds. I’ve tried setting out a seed blend to attract woodpeckers, but I didn’t have any luck down here in the valley.
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Maybe try adding fat (lard?) to the seed mix, they come for fattier food 🙂
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A beautiful bird, great photos, Ilze! The bird looks much like our Northern Mockingbird with those white wingtips. ❤️
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Are you commenting on Magpies? They are bigger than Northern Mockingbirds…
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I can see the size difference, it’s the feather colors that had me think of the Mockingbird. I saw two of them yesterday outside my kitchen window!
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