Australian Magpies Copy an Unrecorded Behaviour of Brown Hares: "Watch-Guarding"

Authors: John Flux EC*

DOI: 10.23880/izab-16000670

Volume 9, Issue 1

Abstract

Hundreds of photographs of hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778), taken at random whenever seen in the field opposite our house in Belmont, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, 2005-2016, revealed a curious, apparently unrecorded, behaviour. Each summer, two hares came to the same fence-post. One lay on its side for several minutes, not moving, while the other stood within 1m watching it. Then both ran away. No hares behaved like this anywhere else in the field; and nothing like it has been reported overseas. Rabbits (Oryctolagus c. cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758)) copied the hares, but often behaved like this elsewhere. Two Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1801)) copied them exactly, at the same fencepost. Both were adult, and such extraordinary behaviour has never been recorded before. Other birds, horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, cats, possums (Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr,1792)), stoats (Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758) and weasels (M. nivalis vulgaris Erxleben,1777), and rats (Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) and R. rattus (Linnaeus 1758)), watched from the house, paid no attention to this location.

Keywords: Brown Hare; Rabbit; Magpie; Copying Behaviour

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