Squirrels have slender bodies with very long bushy tails and they also have very large eyes. They are highly territorial and vocal. Squirrels will tell you and other animals that they are not allowing trespassers on their territory. Like lions, squirrels mark their territory by spraying urine. Also, they mark their territory with tail-waving displays.
On the other hand, the magpies. Magpies are very aggressive birds for lots of reasons such as keeping threats away from their precious nests. Like squirrels, magpies are also very territorial and they will defend their territory until death.
These two creatures often fight. Yes! Squirrels and magpies fight each other for lots of reasons. This question has been always asked by lots of people on forums and Facebook. That is why I decided to answer it. So, let me tell you why squirrels and magpies fight!
Why do squirrels and magpies fight? Squirrels and magpies fight because of territory and food. These two creatures often see each other, which is why it is inevitable for them to fight. Magpies and squirrels are both strong and dedicated animals. If they fight one-on-one, the winner is not assured.
Today, we will talk about squirrels and magpies. The answer I gave you is concise. However, there is a broader one, which we will discuss later on. Lastly, I will also answer various questions related to our subject and show a short clip of squirrels and magpies fight. If you are ready, let us move on!
Related article: Can magpies be pets?
Reasons Why Squirrels And Magpies Fight
Both magpies and squirrels are highly territorial creatures that would fight until they die to defend their territory and their fellow species. Both squirrels and magpies love to live in groups. That is why no one can ever touch them. It is their way to be safe from predators.
Like I have said above, these two animals love to fight each other. The reason why they fight each other is because of territory. These two species love to settle down on trees. When squirrels see that magpies have a good spot up there, they will try to steal that tree.
However, aside from territory, magpies and squirrels fight because of food. Both magpies and squirrels love to eat fruit and vegetables. Since they always see each other and sometimes food is scarce, these two species will sometimes fight over one nut or apple. However, even though the food is not scarce, they will still fight over food.
Everyone living in a country where magpies and squirrels are abundant often sees this kind of fight. They stated that sometimes they see magpies attempting to steal nuts from a squirrel. As a mammal, the squirrel will naturally defend its nuts by chasing off the magpies.
According to lots of people, squirrels don’t usually hurt magpies severely. Squirrels only chase magpies away to save their treats. Like I have said, squirrels are very territorial, especially when it comes to food. Anyone that tries to steal their lovely nut from them, squirrels will try to chase it away.
So to conclude, the reason why squirrels and magpies fight is because of territory and food. Both species are territorial, especially when it comes to food. They will chase away or attack if needed every species that tries to steal their food and territory.
Do Other Birds Attack Squirrels?
Aside from magpies, other birds might attack squirrels. So the answer to this question is yes! There are lots of other birds that attack squirrels.
The other birds that attack squirrels are the carnivore birds. Some are just like magpies who only attack squirrels to get food from the squirrel. Red-tailed hawks are one of the birds that love to catch squirrels. They usually catch grey squirrels and eat them in their nest.
Why Do Birds Hate Squirrels?
There are two reasons why birds attack squirrels. First, carnivore birds attack squirrels to make it their dinner. Second, birds like magpies attack squirrels because they hate squirrels. Why do they hate squirrels?
The reason why birds like magpies hate squirrels is that squirrels are their competitor in food, territory, and water. Like I have said, squirrels live in trees, which is the same with birds. That is why it is inevitable to have a conflict between both species.
Is There Any Chance A Squirrel And Magpie Get Along?
If you want to have both a pet squirrel and a magpie in your backyard, you just have to make sure that you both give them their needs. Why? So that they can get along with each other and not fight for resources. They will peacefully coexist rather than compete with one another if there is an adequate amount of food.
Do Squirrels Eat Magpies?
Most people think that squirrels are only vegetarians that will eat nuts, fruits, and vegetables. However, that is not strictly true. Though rare, sometimes squirrels eat birds, insects, frogs, lizards, and rodents.
So, to answer this question, yes! There are times that a squirrel eats a magpie. However, this is rare. Usually, this happens when squirrels cannot find fruits or vegetables around them. The only way to cleanse their hunger is by eating magpies or other small birds around them. Also, sometimes, if there are no foods around them, squirrels may eat the eggs of magpies.
Do Magpies Eat Squirrels?
Yes! There are chances that a magpie will eat a squirrel, especially if there are no fruits and vegetables around them. Magpies are omnivorous birds that love to eat both fruits and veggies and meats of small mammals and birds. Sometimes, magpies will also eat small amphibians and reptiles. Magpies usually hunt baby squirrels since baby squirrels are still small and vulnerable.
Video Of A Magpie and Squirrel Fight
Below is the video of a magpie and squirrel fight. This is proof that squirrels and magpies fight each other. Watch it below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Go8eseht0
Final Verdict
Yes! Magpies and squirrels fight. The reason why squirrels and magpies fight is because of territory and food. If food is scarce in a certain location, magpies and squirrels will compete for food. Also, they might eat each other if food is scarce.