# Pigeons and Magpies Can't be Housed Together, Can They?



## Howard Nye (Oct 14, 2009)

Hi,

I recently rescued and have been rehabbing a magpie (who I named 'Maggie') who I found with a broken wing. Maggie has been healing her wing, and we were hoping that it might heal sufficiently well that she would be releasable. But when my vet last inspected her wing it looks like she isn't able to extend it well enough to be releasable. 

So it looks like I need to find a home for Maggie, and I was just wondering: pigeons and magpies can't be housed together, can they? I have four non-releasable pigeons myself, and it would be much easier for me to keep Maggie if she could live in the same room with my pigeons. But I doubt that she can live with the pigeons: as I understand magpies go after eggs, and although my pigeons' eggs get replaced with false ones, I'm worried that Maggie would still be encouraged to attack them when they're on the eggs. I've also been told that magpies sometimes predate pigeons, at least when dead or injured, and that there might be a risk that a magpie could even go after healthy adults. I think magpies are only about 1/2 the weight of pigeons, but they have much larger, sharper beaks. 

Still, if anyone could help me get a definitive answer as to whether magpies can't be housed with pigeons I'd be most grateful.

Thanks so much!
Howard


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