Magpie death rituals

[Danny McG]

I'm currently reading this book
May 2021 Reading Discussion.
And a character in the novel says 'Magpies hold funerals for each other"
Any bird experts heard of this?

 

[nixie]

Not heard of it but being curious I went searching.

Magpies 'feel grief and hold funerals' - Against Corvid Traps

Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an animal behaviour expert has claimed. Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an...

www.againstcorvidtraps.co.uk

 

[Danny McG]

Not heard of it but being curious I went searching.

Magpies 'feel grief and hold funerals' - Against Corvid Traps

Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an animal behaviour expert has claimed. Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an...

www.againstcorvidtraps.co.uk

Aha, so it really is a thing, I thought it would be something really obscure

 

[mosaix]

They’re completely heartless when it comes to eating the chicks of other birds though.

 

[HareBrain]

Mmm, lamb...