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Possible tool use by an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

  • Publication Type

    Journal Article

  • Publication Year

    2007

  • Author(s)

    J. McCormick

  • Journal Name

    Notornis

  • Volume, Issue

    54, 4

  • Pagination

    116-117

  • Article Type

    short note

Keywords

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Possible tool use by an Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Notornis, 54 (4), 116-117

J. McCormick (2007)

Article Type: short note

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[First paragraph…] Members of the parvorder Corvida, including the Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen, have a relatively high level of innovative behaviour amongst birds (Timmermans et al. 2000; Lefebvre et al. 2004). An example of this behaviour is tool use in Corvus spp. (Hunt 1996; Caffrey 2000). Although Australian magpies (magpies hereafter) are known to manipulate objects in behaviour such as play (Pellis 1981ab; Kaplan 2004) they have not been reported to use tools. Here, I report a possible case of tool use by an adult magpie.