Tweets,

while on a field trip at the Crane Festival last weekend, a local
birdwatcher said, in response to some comment I made about Magpies, that
Magpies "are not native here, they eat the eggs of native species, and the
best thing you can do to help native birds is to kill Magpies." This
comment was made in such a vehement tone that I decided not to continue
discussion of that topic. Later, at Steve Herman's falconry demonstration,
someone asked if falcons could be used to hunt Magpies, and they expressed
disappointment when Steve said no (essentially, Magpies are too smart to be
hunted with falcons).

While I believe the comment that Magpies will eat eggs (and maybe even
nestlings), the "non-native" assertion appears to be without factual basis.
Pica pica is almost circumpolar in distribution. Perhaps numbers have
increased due to human disturbance; they have adapted well to farming, but
that doesn't make them non-native. So I'm curious to know if anyone has
some insight into why these birds are held in such disdain.

BTW, while my participation in the Festival was limited, I second other's
recommendations. The Festival was well organized, and it's worth a visit
just for the landscape.

Rob Saecker
Olympia, WA
rsaecker at thurston.com