Are magpies flirting or being annoying when they ride on other animals? It’s neither

One of nature’s oddities is the sight of dinky birds sitting defiantly on the heads and rumps of deer, moose and other large animals in the northwestern United States, almost as if they’re teasing them — or flirting.

That’s not the case, however, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials explained this week.

Black-billed magpies, which do this a lot, are not trying to be annoying, the service said in a Facebook post.

“Black-billed magpies are resourceful birds that will happily eat carrion and scraps left behind by other animals,” the service said. “They’re also known to eat ticks off other animals, providing a service to those animals while enjoying a snack.”

So, deer and moose are basically a big hairy dinner plate for birds that have no shame.

The post included photos of magpies riding on the rump of a moose and the head of a mule deer. They are also shown staring at an eating otter, in hopes it will drop something on the ground for them.

A similar type of feasting has been reported on the East Coast, where white cattle egrets ride on wild horses roaming the Outer Banks of North Carolina, McClatchy News reported last year. The stubborn egrets grow to 22 inches in height and are known for being “gregarious.”

Black-billed magpies have a similar reputation. They’re considered “entertaining birds,” with an “inquisitive” nature, according to Allaboutbirds.org.

“Magpies frequently followed hunting parties of Plains Indians and fed on leftovers from bison kills. On their expedition, Lewis and Clark reported magpies boldly entering their tents to steal food,” the site says.

This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 4:41 AM with the headline "Are magpies flirting or being annoying when they ride on other animals? It’s neither."