Clever magpies outwit scientists by helping each other remove tracking devices

A group of clever magpies managed to outwit scientists running a GPS trial - by helping each other to pull off the tracking devices.

The brainy birds 'failed' a recent experiment from researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Some of the samples managed to remove the harnesses designed to allow trackers to be attached to their backs within minutes.

Researchers Joel Crampton and Dr Dominique Potvin said they witnessed an adult female pecking at the harness of a juvenile, eventually managing to release it.

Dr. Potvin, a senior lecturer in animal ecology, said: “This shows high levels of cognitive ability and also cooperation – helping others seemingly without getting a reward.

"This kind of ‘rescue’ behavior has only been documented in a handful of birds and is a remarkable indication of tight social structures and relationships.”

The harnesses' strength and durability were deemed satisfactory after initial tests, and they were subsequently attached to five birds.

Dr. Potvin said: "We first trained the magpies to come to the feeding station, then caught them and put them in the special harnesses containing the GPS tracking devices."

The idea was that harnessed birds would later return to the feeding station, where a magnet would release the GPS device without the need to catch them again.

But the experiment yielded some unexpected results: when the feathered masterminds realised they couldn't remove their own, they decided to work together.

“Of course, every time you put a tracker on a bird, it takes a bit of getting used to, so the magpies were adjusting and turning their heads to try to grab it," said Dr. Potvin.

“But the harness isn’t accessible by the birds. Well, by themselves. We didn’t count on them asking for help from each other.

“This is quite a feat because there is only one weak point on the harness, which is where it would have been released by the magnet."

Within the hour of the last tracker being placed on a bird, the researchers witnessed an adult female pecking at the harness of a younger bird, eventually managing to release it.

A few days later, none of the five birds, even the dominant male, still had their harness on.

The researchers said the behavior demonstrated both cooperation and a moderate level of problem-solving, providing potential further evidence of the cognitive abilities of this species.

Ph.D. student Joel said: "To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the removal of GPS trackers within members of the same species and should be considered when planning future tracking studies, especially on highly social species, such as magpies."

The findings were published in the scientific journal Australian Field Ornithology on February 15, 2022.