Research reveals surprise about magpie 'bullies'

Bullied magpies may actually be the smarter birds in their group, Australian researchers say.

The team has monitored a population of suburban magpies in Western Australia since 2014, and from 2020 to 2021, they recorded data on the magpies’ social networks to investigate how their interactions impacted their intelligence.

The birds’ brains were tested by approaching them with a colour-coded toy with a treat placed behind a specific colour.

Researchers then measured how quickly the birds learned to use the colour to find the treat before the toy was whisked away.

They found magpies who bullied other magpies more often were less successful at the intelligence test, while those who were bullied were likely to do better.

The findings may support the hypothesis of “necessity drives innovation” – that individuals who are unable to bully their way to their goals may find new solutions.

Or, more colloquially, it’s about brains over brawn.

“Our findings emphasise the importance of considering social interactions beyond group size when exploring a sociality-cognition relationship,” the researchers said.