# Magpie/unknown egg



## hodges (Oct 20, 2008)

Hello all,

I went down to the river again tho i only found EWD's and Water Skinks again, no snakes bummer. But to my amazement this magpie came down next to me and so i gave it some bread, i wanted to see what the birds boundries where so enjoy, sorry about the video quality my camera depleted its batteries.
unkown e
Also can anyone give me an id on this egg which i found in an unsafe spot (was near a log/river). I thought it may be a normal chicken egg but it feels and looks alot whiter than a normal chicken egg.


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## hodges (Oct 20, 2008)

Anyone else have tame magpies to an extent ?.


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## dpeica (Oct 20, 2008)

holy ****


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## LullabyLizard (Oct 20, 2008)

Lol I love the beginning... "Holy S__T" lol


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## Chris89 (Oct 20, 2008)

At our old house, the old people that lived 2 houses down use to have magpies that came to their house every morning for some food, they could hand feed them - Apparently the magpies hatched in a nest that was in their front lawn and the young birds just hanged around and have been there for 2 or 3 years now - They can hold the birds etc like you would with a pet bird.


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## hodges (Oct 20, 2008)

Chris89 said:


> At our old house, the old people that lived 2 houses down use to have magpies that came to their house every morning for some food, they could hand feed them - Apparently the magpies hatched in a nest that was in their front lawn and the young birds just hanged around and have been there for 2 or 3 years now - They can hold the birds etc like you would with a pet bird.



Yeah, im sure it wouldn't be hard to tame a wild adult magpie either, prime example of me feeding one today- tho i guess its sorta a trust issue as well. It was quite happy to climb up and grab the bread from me.


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## cracksinthepitch (Oct 20, 2008)

The egg is more likely a ground dwelling birds egg such as a purple swamp hen or even a local duck species. It is unlikely to be a magpies egg as they nest at height due to predators. They will push an egg out of the nest if it is not fertile but they usually break as they come from a height. Did you put the egg back? Not judging you but perhaps you could keep your distance and monitor this location to see what species attended the egg if any. 
Hand Reared Magpies are brilliant as are red throated wattle birds, but white bread with preservatives is not the go for sustainable food, but anyway you only did it once


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## Kitah (Oct 20, 2008)

Cool  We have 2 breeding pairs of magpies at home, both females will take food from your hand and the males will come over for food as well. whenever they have young, they quite happily take food as well (give them lean meat) We now also feed two pied butcherbirds (quite happily take food from your hands, they've gone into the kitchen before (mum has fun trying to get them out), sit on the chairs outside and call until someone comes out, and we also feed the currajongs.. not quite game to hand feed them though, would hurt just a tad bit more if they missed the food and got your fingers...


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## hodges (Oct 20, 2008)

cracksinthepitch said:


> The egg is more likely a ground dwelling birds egg such as a purple swamp hen or even a local duck species. It is unlikely to be a magpies egg as they nest at height due to predators. They will push an egg out of the nest if it is not fertile but they usually break as they come from a height. Did you put the egg back? Not judging you but perhaps you could keep your distance and monitor this location to see what species attended the egg if any.
> Hand Reared Magpies are brilliant as are red throated wattle birds, but white bread with preservatives is not the go for sustainable food, but anyway you only did it once



Ahh thanks, yeah i really didn't have to much interest in the egg so i just placed it back. Looked to be abandoned or thats where the bird species intended to lay the egg there. Sorry didn't know about the whole bread thing, show's how much i know about birds :lol:.


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## Ersatz (Oct 20, 2008)

Just dont feed pidgeons panadol.


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## cracksinthepitch (Oct 20, 2008)

Dont worry dude as i took the kids to feed swans and their cygnets some bread and my wife tore shreds of me when i got home, bloody park ranger wife


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## nuthn2do (Oct 20, 2008)

hodges said:


> Yeah, im sure it wouldn't be hard to tame a wild adult magpie either, prime example of me feeding one today- tho i guess its sorta a trust issue as well. It was quite happy to climb up and grab the bread from me.


Mate that's not a wild bird, if it comes close it's already humanised from being offered food.


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## channi (Oct 22, 2008)

My fiance has 8 that sit on his front steps of a morning and sing until he wakes up and gives them breakfast.


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## shane14 (Oct 22, 2008)

what are you going to do with the egg? i'd try hatch it


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## notechistiger (Oct 22, 2008)

Lol, nuthn2do, that doesn't mean it's not a wild bird. Magpies are notorious for becoming very relaxed and trusting of humans when they think/know they'll get a feed.


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## hodges (Oct 22, 2008)

shane13 said:


> what are you going to do with the egg? i'd try hatch it



LOL-like i said no real interest in the egg, i just left it there. Being meaning to go back down and have a look but i guess time fly's past.


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## aoife (Oct 22, 2008)

cheeky buggers!


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## Sturdy (Oct 22, 2008)

yeah there is 1 tame magpie around here

her beak is a bit deformed an will eat from your hand (meal worms being the fav)

we also have one very fat brush tail possum who will let you pat him an hand feed ill try an get some pictures of fatso


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## Rocky (Oct 22, 2008)

nuthn2do said:


> Mate that's not a wild bird, if it comes close it's already humanised from being offered food.




Lol, yeah, it is, I live in a valley, and depending on the weather, used to get around 40 rainbow lorikeets, heaps of kookaburras and Magpies, all would be sketchy at first but then take food from my hand.


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## geckodan (Oct 23, 2008)

Looking at the shape and waxy coating I would put money on it being a duck egg - size wise probably Pacific black or Australian Wood Duck.


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## hodges (Oct 23, 2008)

geckodan said:


> Looking at the shape and waxy coating I would put money on it being a duck egg - size wise probably Pacific black or Australian Wood Duck.



I did see a mother duck and her ducklings close by. Tho i am sure there are tones of different bird species in the area, thanks for the help tho.


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