Stop Kidnapping Young Magpies

At the Mandurah Wildlife Centre, every summer we receive a lot of young birds, many of them Magpies, that have been “rescued” by the person who brings it in. Often, they are found in a park, on the ground and all alone and you might feel the urge to “rescue” it. However, in most cases you are just kidnapping this young bird from its poor parents.

Young Magpies live on the ground

It is normal for young Magpies to be alone on the ground, and sleeping in a bush at night. The parents will still take care of it and feed the young, however, the parents do go off to find food for it, so you might come across a lone young Magpie that seems to be deserted.

In that case, if it does not look wounded or sick, just leave it be. Keep an eye on it and see what happens. In general, you will notice that the parents will be with it the next time you see it, and all will be fine. If you see that it is getting dishevelled or lethargic, without any parents being present, then give us a call to discuss what is the best solution.