Magpie (Black-Billed Magpie)
Pica pica
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Distribution Britain 1,958 (+1.1%) Ireland 962 (+0.9%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 590,000 Ireland 320,000
European status: 9,000,000 (10% in Britain and Ireland =3)
British population trend: big increase, now stable (+94% CBC){+113%}
How likely are you to record it? 3,079 squares (68.6%) Ranked 12 [5=]
Magpies were, and are, just about the most hated of all the crows by gamekeepers and suffered unmercifully at their hands. By the end of the 19th century their populations in much of East Anglia had been severely reduced and the birds were in retreat from northern Scotland. By 1940 it was only common in parts of the Lowlands and its demise elsewhere was put down to persecution but this has not been proved. In Ireland the Magpie first arrived about 325 years ago in Wexford and had spread throughout the country — except the far North-west — by 100 years ago. These areas were gradually colonised during the next few decades. In Scotland the birds started to increase about 60 or 70 years ago, possibly through the demise of the keeper and/or because of increased planting of forestry. They have spread up the east coast and now breed in the Black Isle and through the lowland areas of North-east Grampian as well as some extra southern areas. The CBC has shown amazing increases in the 25 years from 1965 with an overall three-fold gain. There is good evidence that this has halted in the last ten years. The great increase coincided with breeding becoming widespread in suburban and urban areas and considerable agitation over nest predation by the Magpies. However detailed research has failed to find any causative link between the demise of many small bird populations and the increase in Magpies. The outlook seems excellent for a very well adapted species for modern living.
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead