Why are magpies so cruel?

[linedancer16]

I've just had an upsetting morning! I've been watching a nesting pair of blackbirds for weeks now - building the nest, the male guarding its territory etc- until this morning when I had to rescue a very young baby from a magpie which had taken it from the nest and was viciously pecking at it. Why do magpies do this? The same thing happened next door last year. I rang my vet who said to bring it down but he said it was too badly hurt and too young to survive and the kindest thing to do was to put it to sleep. I dont know if there are any other babies in the nest as its deep in a hedge and I havent disturbed it. I know nature can be cruel but those two blackbirds had worked so hard and the mother blackbird must wonder what has happened to her baby. It's really spoiled my day!

[askyourgran]

I hate magpies, I've seen them raid the blackbirds nests every year. They are such arrogant cocky birds I often go out and clap my hands when they are around. We have some jackdaws who raid the Magpies nest now and again though.

[DTCwordfan]

Humans can be as cruel with young birds. Was served deep fried duck embryos as part of a lunch with the Governor of Zhejiang's personal secretary in Hanzhou a few years ago.....as part fo an exotic meal as he had heard as I was some what of an enlightened "gweilo" when it came to trying things once.

This was a semi-sane item on the menu, though a little too bony for me....bizarre ones included the O rings off turtles shells to their bodies. I never developed a taste for them, they looked like an o ring and probably tasted like them. However, there were revelations......

[askyourgran]

That reminds me of one of those Indiana Jones films where they had a really yucky banquet eating insects ect. in some palace.