As I mentioned a couple of days ago, songbirds often harass predators during the nesting season. I’ve seen chickadees harass blue jays and red-winged blackbirds dive-bomb red-tailed hawks but it’s a rare day that any bird takes on a cat.
In these two videos magpies triumph.
Above, a European magpie pushes the envelope with a flea-bitten cat. Fortunately he knows when to fly out of the way. Notice that the cooing Eurasian collared dove and cheep-ing house sparrow in the background are not participating. 😉
In the silent video below, two black-billed magpies roust a Maine coon, the largest domestic cat. The person who posted the video wrote: “Our cat “Sweetie Pie” is a large Maine Coon cat that often catches birds, but this morning, two Magpies attacked her as she relaxed on the sidewalk. You can see the Magpies actually pecking at her fur!” It was a minor victory considering how many birds the cat has probably killed.
My cat Emmalina (Emmy) would be disgusted if she could read this statement … but … I think magpies are smarter than cats.
p.s. Keep your cats indoors. I do.
(videos from YouTube)
My “neighbor” lets their cats out and large dog out daily/nightly. It’s …
Heckle and Jeckle!
Cats indoors, definitely, for all involved. One of the biggest threats to our local cats are birds, namely Great Horned Owls. My cats’ Vet believes they kill about as many cats as the local coyotes.
P.S. Thanks for the link. I see brave Belle’s 2 chicks were banded today.
Just loved the cat & bird interaction; 2 yrs. ago I adopted 2 all white cats, litter mates, males weighs 19, female 9. Arthur & Martha, they sit onmy 2nd story deck, hang their heads over to look ath robins looking for worms but they were always indoor cats so they are just curious. I got them from animal friends, they were very stressed out but now they adore me, said I could live here too, are rotten spoiled, eat the best stuff & sleep with me since my husb. ahd died. He was allergic to the world so I have animals to replace him, Arthur is named after him & bec. Art had a voice box r& couldnot speak Arthur the cat gets talked to all day. Love them forever. The fam. req. they be adopted together & I did and I tell them everyday how lucky they are!!!!!. Faith.
I need some magpies in my back yard. How can I attract them? 150 ft from Ohio River/bike trail in Wheeling, WV.
John Thomson, magpies aren’t native to eastern North America. Crows (distant relatives to magpies) might do the trick.
I watched two robins attacking the tiger at the Pgh. Zoo some years back. They repeatedly landed on his rump and head. Boy I wish I had a smart phone back
then. It was hilarious!