Nestling diet of the Common Magpie (Pica pica) in urban and agricultural habitats

Abstract

Several processes may be responsible for the urbanization of the Common Magpie (Pica pica), a species spreading widely in European towns during the last 50 years. Greater supply or better availability of food could play a role in the successful colonization of urban habitats by this species. We compared the nestling diet of Magpies within (urban) and adjacent to the city (rural) of Prague, Czech Republic, using the neck-collar method, and studied parental foraging behavior and micro-habitat associations in the city of Prague. Although the nestling diet was different between urban and rural areas, invertebrates (mainly Coleoptera) were the most frequent prey in both areas. Anthropogenic food was more abundant in urban than in rural areas. The nestling diet differed from the potentially available food supply in both urban and rural areas: Annelida and Lepidoptera were preferred, while Isopoda, Diplopoda, Orthoptera and Hymenoptera were neglected. In urban areas, Magpies foraged actively (i.e., by walking) and by perching. Prey was collected mostly from the ground. Magpies foraged mainly at sites covered with short vegetation. Utilization of short vegetation was proportional to its availability, whereas tall vegetation was used less than could be expected by availability. Short vegetation dominated the home ranges of Magpies in urban areas, while tall vegetation was more common in the Magpie home ranges in rural areas.