Making Friends With Magpie

Introduction

Magpies are birds of two colors found in many parts of the globe. They have a beautiful sheen on their bodies and can produce rather peculiar noises. Some people consider these birds funny because they are known to steal other people’s jewels. They are bright and enjoy getting into things. They are usually observed running or jumping in gardens or parks for food. Actually, in many fables, people referred to them as intelligent birds. These birds are easily attractive to watch because of their charming colors and blinks and, best of all, their fast movements. They are alert and social birds, probably due to their highly developed curiosity.

Magpies can also be a little timid and prefer not to approach strangers. However, you could tame it when you remain gentle and kind. Forming a bond with it is not as easy as just wandering up and feeding it. One has to know what and how these birds make friends and what they like. In this article, you will learn how to become friends with these birds and comprehend their behavior.

What Do Magpies Symbolize?

Magpies have different significances in different stories and cultures. That is why some countries still regard them as bringers of luck. The Chinese are particularly superstitious about seeing them, believing they can bring happiness or even special surprises. Many people say that these birds can bring good changes or events. In other stories, they symbolize wisdom and intelligence because the bird is intelligent in real life. Some people believe that they understand something beyond most people's comprehension.

In other cultures, they are associated with friendship and relationships between individuals. Some people have it that they reunite people and make them bonded again. Looking for a symbol and seeing it tells you to look for something beautiful in life. People also know they can help them remember something or find something lost. 

Can You Be Friends With A Magpie?

Surprisingly, yes, one can consider a magpie to be a friend. However, it requires a lot of time and patience. They are not like pets that begin to nuzzle immediately. They are in the wild and, therefore, very shy in who they accept to deal with. And so, if you wanted to be friends with this bird, they had to be warded off gently and patiently. These birds fear noise and haste; waking or making them move fast is equally challenging. You may feel at ease if you get close and calm with them. After some time, they may complain that they know you or them and are comfortable with you.

Are Magpies Friendly?

On the one hand, they seem to be friendly animals, but on the other hand, they are quite cautious. They are wild birds, so there are times when they do not want to flock with people. However, some of them grow friendly over time, and this is perhaps attributable to the fact that they have found their environment to be safe. It’s one thing to have a pet bird, but having a wild bird of this species takes time and patience to win their trust. They might wink at you or shout your name when they meet you. Still, it’s crucial to vary ourselves in the knowledge that not all of them will tend to approach individuals amicably.

They are usually more focused on finding food or protecting their nests in the wild. They sometimes do not get the necessary time to play or to communicate with other humans. That means they may exhibit some of their friendly behaviors if you are careful with them. Anyway, do not forget that their friendliness differs from what we would meet in a pet.

How To Attract Them And Gain Their Trust?

There’s one thing you need to make the magpie friendly to you: time. Unlike pets, which will run to you if you call them, they are not and have poor eyesight. The best signal to attract them is the absence of an active signal – calmness and silence. This is very simple; you can just sit or stand in an area where they are likely to be found, including the garden or the park. You can try to feed them, which may include morsels of bread or some piece of meat, but always ensure you do not rush it lest you get too close to them.

Once it notices that one is not a threat to it, it may begin to observe the individual in question. If the man does not get too close, the bird might approach him if he feels safe after some time. One must provide no stimuli that might provoke an intruder's presence, which necessarily involves the lack of movement. You could slowly spend more time around them if you are consistent and do not try to scare them again. They could trust you. In handling these birds, there is a need to be slow-moving and talk to calm the bird down.

Do Magpies Recognize Humans?

Well, you will be surprised to learn that magpies can recognize humans! They bear their genius to recall anything previously learned or observed. If you frequent that place the same night, this bird may learn to identify you for consecutive nights. In time, it will make some connection related to you, either to safety or food. This is why some people can befriend them; people will be able to have intimate interactions with them. They remember who is friendly with them and who is not.

In an experiment that tested this ability, they showed an ability to recall faces and voices. They could even identify someone from a manageable distance. As much as they disapprove of your company at some point, they will recognize you when it comes across you after some time. But if it sees a man doing something they fear, it may not approach the man again.

How Do You Tell If A Magpie Is Fond Of You?

It will start showing you different behavior, which is evidence the magpie loves you. You might see it standing across you or hovering just over your head. If it is familiar to you, it might use vocalization, trilling, or making other soft calls to express its opinion. It also may jump about you or take the food you have set for it. If the bird is not afraid, it will come closer over time.

Those who have realized they can associate with people do not immediately fly away when they spot them. But they may keep their mute and watch the situation to demonstrate that they are not afraid. If it has been coming around your area and choosing to perch around you, this is a sign that it loves you.

Things To Avoid When Interacting With Magpies

There are some things to be careful regarding them. First, do not try to run after them or catch their hand. They are free-living birds and should and deserve the freedom to roam around. You must not make sudden movements because that scares them away if you try to move too fast. Do not use loud tones or screaming because this will make them feel unsafe.

It is unsafe to attempt to grab it or pen it somewhere. If the bird feels comfortable, allow it to fly directly to where it wants to be. Also, we should not offer too much food to the magpies because this will make the birds depend only on human beings. Always be gentle and kind. Just leave them alone and do not attempt to be friends or talk to them unwanted. If you are willing to wait patiently without trying to get near this bird in a hurry or angered, you will stand a better chance of taming it.

A True Story About Friendship Between Humans And Magpies

There was once a 9-year-old girl with a wild friend. It wasn’t a normal pet; it was a magpie. She first saw it when the bird was just a baby, about 6 weeks old. This small bird had fallen on the ground scratching and seemed hungry. The girl fed this magpie some mealworms that she had soaked in water, and after that, it would visit her at home.

This bird spent numerous hours in the sunroom with the door open to leave whenever desired. Occasionally, the bird would perch on one leg for several hours in the sunroom and sit quietly. The bird also started growing up, and even though it began to fly, it still stayed with the girl. They would sing, play, and carefully even press flowers from the garden if you were with them. It loved picking flowers and napkins and, at other times, would tear them into pieces in what could be interpreted as nest building.

The bird could not help but follow the girl and her family. It was always around, and whatever they did outside, they could be sure the bird was watching and following them. If they rode their motorbike, this magpie would sometimes chase them over the farm for a long distance. The girl named it Pie-ah after her grandmother’s Italian accent at some point. As this beautiful bird grew up, she stopped coming by as frequently, but the girl understood that this was a wild bird and that she needed to live her own life. However, every time it flew over, the family would recognize its presence.

Conclusion

Any relationship with a magpie requires time, trust, and complete compliance with the rules. These clever birds will take their time to accept your presence because they are intelligent. That is why, by talking to them and treating them properly, a person will gain close contact with them. Just remember that all birds are unique in their own way, so it should always be best to take time and give them the respect they deserve to build rapport.