Bushwalk Australia

Does anyone know what these magpies are doing?



It was about 26c and humid. These two birds were pressed hard up against the retaining wall in direct sunlight playing dead.
They both had their mouths open and were obviously hot.

When I had a closer look they stirred for a minute before going back to the strange position "playing dead".

I suspect they were hunting skinks but wonder if there is another theory??

Mating?

At 26 degrees I would say it was just a dust bath -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_bath

If it was particularly hot, they thermoregulate by "gullar flutttering" -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoregulation

"Birds also avoid overheating by gular fluttering, flapping the wings near the gular (throat) skin, similar to panting in mammals, since their thin skin has no sweat glands. Down feathers trap warm air acting as excellent insulators just as hair in mammals acts as a good insulator."

I've just taken a photo of two lying on their sides holding each others feet yesterday (Im on holidays so I can't upload as they're on my camera). I figured it must have been some strange form of magpie foreplay lol

I don't think it was a dust bath. They were dead still pressed against the wall. I also doubt it was a result of the heat, as the position was maximising exposure to the sun. In any case either of those would be separate to the behavior I observed rather than an explanation.

Mating might be an explanation for otherwise random behavior. I guess it is the right season.

I have seen this behavior a few times too, I would also be interested in finding out what they are doing, I do not think it has anything to do with mating or bathing, to me it looks more like some form of relaxation.

Check this video out, the video was done just up the road from where I work.

Tony

They were probably basking if they were not dust bathing -> http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tet ... ing-birds/

Pteropus wrote:They were probably basking if they were not dust bathing -> http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tet ... ing-birds/

yep I reckon you're right Pteropus. Strange to see a bird staying in the sun on an already hot day but for whatever reason that's what they were doing.

We used to see it quite a bit with native Noisy Miners. Scratch round on the timber balconies and seemed to get so hot they would go into a bit of a torpor. Thought they might be delousing, they seem to do it most during the super hot summer mid days. Seen magpies doing it too but not to the extent of the miners.