Magpies
by Ian on Dec.12, 2008, under Bird Watching
I have now stayed around Perth for 34 years, in that time the Magpie population has increased hugely where they were resident, Glasgow, Dundee etc. I used to see an odd magpie flying across the M90 motorway at Kelty 30 years ago, it is the same today. Now here’s the point, why are there no magpies in Perth making a success of town living as other populations do? I am sure people may know of an odd pair in the outskirts, but I have never seen a magpie in Perth. As a boy magpies around Eaglesham were rare country birds viewed as exotic. In Eaglesham they are now common, nesting in gardens sometimes to the chagrin of home owners and garden birds. So are they so sedentary that they only expand to large numbers in their local habitat and don’t seek to spread by geographical leaps? do we have country magpies and town magpies with the latter more successful, like foxes, on the debris of humanity?
Where is the evolutionary advantage in not spreading in geographical leaps?
I welcome comments
December 24th, 2008 on 4:57 pm
Spotted a magpie at Kinross from the M90, getting nearer to Perth!
January 5th, 2009 on 8:59 pm
It is quite amazing. Having spent my whole life in the tay valley I have seen 2 magpies here in 27 years.
I find that amazing! That such an intelligent, well evolved and successful bird is rare in certain areas!
Perhaps magpies require biodiversity corridors to progress to different areas. In this case the corridors would be more urban areas as this seems to be the environment where they thrive!
So maybe there is not sufficient urban areas linking central Scotland with more Northern areas.
I would like everyone reading this post to add their own sightings. Very interesting topic.
April 10th, 2009 on 10:09 am
I think I can answer my own question, the evolutionary advantage is being linked to a family, the bond to the family is greater than the impulse to move far (from that family) so if the pathway to another area for expansion does not exist the magpies wont migrate as individuals, and I cant foresee a mechanism where the greater part of a family group migrate.