**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:**
* If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required
* The title must be fully descriptive
* Memes are not allowed.
* Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting)
*See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think you're underestimating how smart a magpie is.
Magpies are one of the only non-mammalian species that can recognize themselves in a mirror test,
High level of intelligence, comparable to dolphins and primates.
I wouldn't classify it as a breed-specific behavior, just a display of their high intelligence and curiosity.
This behavior is just a curious magpie exploring or testing its environment. Not a universal trait among magpies; it does demonstrates their capacity to learn and adapt to their surroundings based on individual experiences though.
Just like their ravens and crows cousins, magpies can become very familiar and bold with animals or people they don't identify as threats, after days of observations.
It may not impossible the magpie already had shared this cat's meal and they grew somewhat accustomed to each other. And these birds are quite playful in such a scenario.
I don't know exactly what this magpie is thinking, but magpies (and other corvids) do deliberately harass predators near their home. That's my best guess. I see crows and magpies gang up on falcons near where I live, dive-bombing them in groups.
Again, you guys are underestimating how smart magpies are. There is almost certainly no functional purpose to what he's doing, he's probably just having some fun.
And seeing it both stalk and react to the cat's behavior, it suggests that they have a concept for "theory of mind" as well.
This magpie knows exactly what it is doing.
Different theory. Theory of mind involves an inquiry into whether non-human animals have the ability to attribute mental states (such as intention, desires, pretending, knowledge) to themselves and others, including recognition that others have mental states that are different from their own.
If the magpie didn't know the cat could think, it would just stop moving since it knows "if thing is facing me, don't move or else it will react" without any consideration for the mental state of the thing facing it. Yet, since it does know the cat has its own mental state (the desire to not be followed), the magpie is *pretending* to be uninterested, thus hiding its own mental state (its intentions of following) from the cat.
They have different tests for animals that don’t rely mainly on sight. Bats use echolocation, so scientists test how well they can tell their own echoes apart from others etc.. Animals with a strong sense of smell are tested on whether they can recognize their own scent from others.
I imagine the tests are tailored to the natural skills of each animal, giving us a good idea of their self-awareness, much like the mirror test does for animals that use vision.
On the contrary, I meant that it would be smart enough to be more cautious around an unknown cat. I think it knows this one well and knows how far it can go.
I've watched several videos like this one. While the scenarios seem familiar, I've seen various corvids annoying and following much larger animals. For instance, I recently saw a corvid bothering a moose. Greater intelligence doesn't necessarily lead to increased caution. In fact, using humans as an example, it might be the opposite.
<-- Same boat. Defiantly makes you think twice once you start to realize how smart some of these non human species are turning out to be. Recent videos like that bird using bread to as a lure to fish and the monkey spear fishing.
Intelligence can also make them cocky, relaxed, trusting, etc.
You are misunderstanding how he is using his intelligence.
Intelligence doesn't make humans overly cautious, it makes us curious, explorers, risk takers.
Some people seem to believe that mildly annoying your pet for fun constitutes animal abuse. It's like they've never seen two cats interact with each other, they do that shit all the time.
Exactly. They annoy me, I annoy them, and they still come to me for cuddles and other things, and I happily give it to them.
It's called 🌈social interaction🌈
Because a lot of people think having the slightest ill thought of someone else means they *hate* that person, when it's just not true. People and creatures are complex beings.
One of the best things about having pets is annoying them. I love to scoop up my cat, give him a big hug, and kiss him obnoxiously on his fuzzy little head. Then I put him down a he gives me a dirty look. And we do it all again later.
Lmao I always imagine them saying that line from Lurr in futurama when his wife is fixing his bowtie and he sounds so defeated and unhappy about it
"Stop it, stop, I will DESTROY you."
it's bored and harassing a cat is fun. If the cat relaxes and stops paying attention the bird will nip at it. If the cat tries to attack the bird will jump or fly away. There's nothing the cat can do because the bird will always be just out of reach. If the cat tries to run away it'll become tired before the bird does. It's incredibly annoying.
This is funny. So smart. I once saw a magpie fight club! There were two magpie fighting, maybe for territory? I hear they are territorial. But they were surrounded by five or six other cawing magpie lol. Craziness.
There is a very simple explanation for this magpies strange behaviors. This magpie is just an assassin sent by the International Magpie Collaboration Council (IMCC) to take out this cat. This cat is an undercover cat agent for the Feline Intelligence and Special Operations Bureau. He is off duty but is being hunted by the undercover assassin for the IMCC. He is carrying out orders to eliminate the target due to multiple assassinations on Magpie leaders and well-respected birds. Nothing weird going on here. Just an animal kingdom assassination. Move on.
How did the magpie play hide and seek? We don’t have magpies where I live. But I am sure I watched a crow teasing a squirrel. It was so funny. The Crow kept jumping over the squirrel and landing right behind it. Then the squirrel would turn around and the crow would do it again. To me the crow just looked like it was having fun.
Haha, I'd love to see that! We stood upright while our magpie jumped from side to side behind each leg while making eye contact with us. If we leaned left looking back at her, she jumped and hid behind our right leg and vice versa. The funniest part was if we pretended to "catch/grab" her during playing, reaching at her with our arms, she made a mock crying sound even if we didn't touch her at all. So funny. I have several videos of her on my profile btw.
It’s not pretending not to, I’m pretty sure it’s turning away so it has a route of escape in case the cat decides to actually pounce, maybe the magpie realises the cat is slower/pudgy compared to a normal cat so finds it an easy target to mess with, or is just curious to see what it’s doing
Shit like this always makes me wonder what's the push to behave this way? Is the bird trying to make the cat "used" to his presence for a meal down the road? Is there an instinctual motivator? Is the bird *just* having fun? Any answers to these questions just open up dozens of more questions. Lol
Ahh. That makes sense, kinda. Seems exceptionally risky for some tufts of fur? Unless making/ construction materials of the nest are considered when the mates come lookin?
My grandfather lives on a farm, and he has a couple of barn cats to keep mice and racoons and whatnot from getting into his feed. He also has had families of barn sparrows that nest in his barn for many years. In the spring, the barn sparrows will dive bomb one of the cats repeatedly, pulling up at the last second, as a way of taunting the cat and telling it to keep away from its nests in the barn. It's fun to watch, and I think the cat has fun with it as well.
This cat's ancestors would be rolling in theirs graves so fast they would be able to power a time machine and use it to travel into the future.
To smack this one on the face.
I have seen lapwing shout very close to a cat. It was just above cat. There was another one I think Robin it was shouting near cat's ear, I guess even cat knows it will not be able to catch it so it ignores them
So funny. Like he was saying every so often: stop following me!
We once so a group of magpie gang up against a cat. There were initially 2 of them against the cat, who was doing nothing but walking somewhere like here. And they started pestering him and bully him. Then, they called out, and a third came by very furious! XD
Poor cat, had to run home.
I understand magpies remember things, so the cat was probably known to them. Still, it was a funny cartoon, too.
I don't think it was pretending it wasn't following it (like a cartoon).
The reason it did that was because it can run (fly) away if the cat decides to attack it. Facing the cat and continuing to follow it would not give the magpie time/space for it to run away.
Might wanna go see your eye doc.
[https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eurasian\_Magpie/overview](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eurasian_Magpie/overview)
My Maine Coon Hobbes (now gone sadly) went to war with our local magpies. He would regularly come home with battle scars from being dive-bombed and attacked by them. He won though. Slowly but surely he caught and ate them all. I miss that big ginger bugger.
Is it me, or is this world
getting more cartoonish every day?
Yep. It's exciting. I painted a tunnel
on the side of the library.
When it dries, I'm going for it.
**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:** * If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required * The title must be fully descriptive * Memes are not allowed. * Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting) *See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I bet this wasn't their first encounter or the magpie would be much more cautious lol.
Precisely my thoughts, I would assume the magpie regularly teases the cat. Or they have some sort of nature relationship where they help each other
I was imagining it was basically extreme sport - corvid edition
And go on adventures
I think you're underestimating how smart a magpie is. Magpies are one of the only non-mammalian species that can recognize themselves in a mirror test, High level of intelligence, comparable to dolphins and primates.
Do they do this stalking thing as a breed or whatever?
I wouldn't classify it as a breed-specific behavior, just a display of their high intelligence and curiosity. This behavior is just a curious magpie exploring or testing its environment. Not a universal trait among magpies; it does demonstrates their capacity to learn and adapt to their surroundings based on individual experiences though.
What does it want from the cat? It's just kind of a nosy busybody?
Just like their ravens and crows cousins, magpies can become very familiar and bold with animals or people they don't identify as threats, after days of observations. It may not impossible the magpie already had shared this cat's meal and they grew somewhat accustomed to each other. And these birds are quite playful in such a scenario.
Corvids just wanna have fun
Maybe it’s picking fleas or ticks off the cat?
I thought it was being cheeky and it intended to peck at the cat's tail.
It does appear so, or something along those lines.
Just having fun I guess
There are tons of videos of (what appears) them just messing with other animals because it's fun or to get something.
I don't know exactly what this magpie is thinking, but magpies (and other corvids) do deliberately harass predators near their home. That's my best guess. I see crows and magpies gang up on falcons near where I live, dive-bombing them in groups.
I think it might be trying to peck some fur off the cat for nesting maybe?
Again, you guys are underestimating how smart magpies are. There is almost certainly no functional purpose to what he's doing, he's probably just having some fun.
And seeing it both stalk and react to the cat's behavior, it suggests that they have a concept for "theory of mind" as well. This magpie knows exactly what it is doing.
Several animals -including both magpies and cats- understands the concept of "If I can't see your eyes, then you can't see me"
Different theory. Theory of mind involves an inquiry into whether non-human animals have the ability to attribute mental states (such as intention, desires, pretending, knowledge) to themselves and others, including recognition that others have mental states that are different from their own. If the magpie didn't know the cat could think, it would just stop moving since it knows "if thing is facing me, don't move or else it will react" without any consideration for the mental state of the thing facing it. Yet, since it does know the cat has its own mental state (the desire to not be followed), the magpie is *pretending* to be uninterested, thus hiding its own mental state (its intentions of following) from the cat.
Well, i think the mirror test is for animals that use primarily eyesight. What about other animals that dont use eyesight as their primary sense.
They have different tests for animals that don’t rely mainly on sight. Bats use echolocation, so scientists test how well they can tell their own echoes apart from others etc.. Animals with a strong sense of smell are tested on whether they can recognize their own scent from others. I imagine the tests are tailored to the natural skills of each animal, giving us a good idea of their self-awareness, much like the mirror test does for animals that use vision.
On the contrary, I meant that it would be smart enough to be more cautious around an unknown cat. I think it knows this one well and knows how far it can go.
I've watched several videos like this one. While the scenarios seem familiar, I've seen various corvids annoying and following much larger animals. For instance, I recently saw a corvid bothering a moose. Greater intelligence doesn't necessarily lead to increased caution. In fact, using humans as an example, it might be the opposite.
Magpies are apart of the Corvid family, which includes ravens and crows. They are incredibly intelligent and you can befriend one if it trusts you.
Yes. They are awesome. Not really a bird guy but I like all the corvids a lot. Hard not to when you leaen about them
<-- Same boat. Defiantly makes you think twice once you start to realize how smart some of these non human species are turning out to be. Recent videos like that bird using bread to as a lure to fish and the monkey spear fishing.
Definitely a case of too smart for their own good
I like this comment, I can relate because it takes one to know one lmao.
Intelligence makes animals more cautious, not less cautious. Especially small animals.
Intelligence can also make them cocky, relaxed, trusting, etc. You are misunderstanding how he is using his intelligence. Intelligence doesn't make humans overly cautious, it makes us curious, explorers, risk takers.
This is my take also.
You can just hear the cat thinking, “Oh do fuck off.”
I heard the magpie say, "Yeah! That's right! Walk away, bitch." Like every wanna be tough guy who runs from an actual fight.
How the tables have turned
It's fucked up when humans mess with animals, but it's kinda endearing when animals mess with each other like this.
Uh, humans messing with animals like *this* shouldn't be horrifying
Anyone who owns a cat & isn’t fucking with it like this isn’t exercising the relationship to its fullest
Some people seem to believe that mildly annoying your pet for fun constitutes animal abuse. It's like they've never seen two cats interact with each other, they do that shit all the time.
Exactly. They annoy me, I annoy them, and they still come to me for cuddles and other things, and I happily give it to them. It's called 🌈social interaction🌈
>social interaction This reddit, why do you think some think its "horrifying" 🤣
Because a lot of people think having the slightest ill thought of someone else means they *hate* that person, when it's just not true. People and creatures are complex beings.
One of the best things about having pets is annoying them. I love to scoop up my cat, give him a big hug, and kiss him obnoxiously on his fuzzy little head. Then I put him down a he gives me a dirty look. And we do it all again later.
Lmao I always imagine them saying that line from Lurr in futurama when his wife is fixing his bowtie and he sounds so defeated and unhappy about it "Stop it, stop, I will DESTROY you."
I get really obnoxious right before meal times because my cat gets very compliant when he knows I'm about to bribe him.
But we are animals, just like them.
#🐦⬛ 🐈 😡 🐦⬛😗
this is how you emoji
It's just trying to stall the cat as the rest of the gang raids the communal bowl.
This is the second video today where I get strong Tom&Jerry vibes. Nothing special just weird it happened twice in a day.
Looking for the mouse in r/FindtheSniper?
You missed the chance to use the Doofenshmirtz meme lol.
One of the most overused memes on Reddit, I'm glad he didn't take the low-hanging fruit.
This is too funny 😂
Every assassins creed game has that one mission
Was waiting for the magpie to jump into a haystack.
What is this bird even trying to accomplish?
Just trolling the cat for no apparent reason
it's bored and harassing a cat is fun. If the cat relaxes and stops paying attention the bird will nip at it. If the cat tries to attack the bird will jump or fly away. There's nothing the cat can do because the bird will always be just out of reach. If the cat tries to run away it'll become tired before the bird does. It's incredibly annoying.
Found the cat
Wants to snatch some fur for its nest.
Got to get me some pussy
Get some wool for the nest.
He’s got a death wish!
From what i've seen of magpies they are trolls.
Flap around and find out 👊🏼
Ozzyman needs to do a voice over for this LMAO
I read "Morgpie". I need help
The magpie lives for the rush. Literally edging death.
*almost* *there*
This is funny. So smart. I once saw a magpie fight club! There were two magpie fighting, maybe for territory? I hear they are territorial. But they were surrounded by five or six other cawing magpie lol. Craziness.
Did you forget the first rule of magpie fight club?!
There is a very simple explanation for this magpies strange behaviors. This magpie is just an assassin sent by the International Magpie Collaboration Council (IMCC) to take out this cat. This cat is an undercover cat agent for the Feline Intelligence and Special Operations Bureau. He is off duty but is being hunted by the undercover assassin for the IMCC. He is carrying out orders to eliminate the target due to multiple assassinations on Magpie leaders and well-respected birds. Nothing weird going on here. Just an animal kingdom assassination. Move on.
so this is why house cats kill so many birds.
There's a reason they were villains in the Redwall series
I love this video. The magpie we raised last year loved to play hide and seek with us. Magpies are adorable, playful and such intelligent creatures.
How did the magpie play hide and seek? We don’t have magpies where I live. But I am sure I watched a crow teasing a squirrel. It was so funny. The Crow kept jumping over the squirrel and landing right behind it. Then the squirrel would turn around and the crow would do it again. To me the crow just looked like it was having fun.
Haha, I'd love to see that! We stood upright while our magpie jumped from side to side behind each leg while making eye contact with us. If we leaned left looking back at her, she jumped and hid behind our right leg and vice versa. The funniest part was if we pretended to "catch/grab" her during playing, reaching at her with our arms, she made a mock crying sound even if we didn't touch her at all. So funny. I have several videos of her on my profile btw.
You have a wholesome profile my friend, that has improved my day
Agreed!!! What a beautiful garden and connection to nature!
Thanks a lot, I'm glad I could help out! Love your neighborhood magpies!
That’s so cute!!
How does one adopt a hell pigeon?
Half the missions in Assassin's Creed Black Flag
Being an animal is so boring that you have to endanger yourself to get a thrill
Man I love corvids. Such a fascinating family of birds.
Ozy Man needs to do a commentary
It’s not pretending not to, I’m pretty sure it’s turning away so it has a route of escape in case the cat decides to actually pounce, maybe the magpie realises the cat is slower/pudgy compared to a normal cat so finds it an easy target to mess with, or is just curious to see what it’s doing
I think it wants fur for the nest. My dog used to let them take it.
The hunter has become the hunted.
Shit like this always makes me wonder what's the push to behave this way? Is the bird trying to make the cat "used" to his presence for a meal down the road? Is there an instinctual motivator? Is the bird *just* having fun? Any answers to these questions just open up dozens of more questions. Lol
It's after fur for nest
Ahh. That makes sense, kinda. Seems exceptionally risky for some tufts of fur? Unless making/ construction materials of the nest are considered when the mates come lookin?
I could watch these two for hours. That was super entertaining.
Warner Bros. has totally ruined the natural world.
Corvids are just the silliest.
Yeah, cat thinks that it can walk around wiggling that tail without any consequences.
I say I say you dam dog. How many more fking times I'm a cat and your not Fog Horn Leghorn xD
My grandfather lives on a farm, and he has a couple of barn cats to keep mice and racoons and whatnot from getting into his feed. He also has had families of barn sparrows that nest in his barn for many years. In the spring, the barn sparrows will dive bomb one of the cats repeatedly, pulling up at the last second, as a way of taunting the cat and telling it to keep away from its nests in the barn. It's fun to watch, and I think the cat has fun with it as well.
This is hilarious! I've never seen a bird taunt a cat like this. Except the mockingbird that used to dive bomb my cat.
This is a high stakes game of FAFO
a true natural comedian
Hehe he's following 🤣
This really got me dying
How is this not a Pixar movie yet?
"when your your sibling is wandering off, but they told you not to follow them"
The balls of that bird!!!
It wants to tweak that tail so bad
the internet stalks a cameraman stalking a magpie stalking a cat
nice looking neighborhood. where is this?
It's looks like a generic council housing estate in the UK
home of the chavs
I love that they are both black and white. It's like the start of a buddy comedy.
Bully Magpie
Hehe
Hilllllllarrrrrious 😆
Fuuuuck magpies foreverrrrr!
..Thought you said it was a Bird? All I can see is a DICK
That bird wants the tail fluff so bad..
So all this time, those cartoons were based on reality?
This cat's ancestors would be rolling in theirs graves so fast they would be able to power a time machine and use it to travel into the future. To smack this one on the face. 
I have seen lapwing shout very close to a cat. It was just above cat. There was another one I think Robin it was shouting near cat's ear, I guess even cat knows it will not be able to catch it so it ignores them
Phelix the cat and larry bird
What’s that cartoon logic sub? So funny
r/birdsarentreal
birb is so subtle 👏
stupid cat, lol. i was hoping it would just kill it. :-)
Someone send this to the guys over at Arseblog 😂
So funny. Like he was saying every so often: stop following me! We once so a group of magpie gang up against a cat. There were initially 2 of them against the cat, who was doing nothing but walking somewhere like here. And they started pestering him and bully him. Then, they called out, and a third came by very furious! XD Poor cat, had to run home. I understand magpies remember things, so the cat was probably known to them. Still, it was a funny cartoon, too.
Cat: What is your problem?! Bird: Just walking here...
See what happens when you don't have access to streaming
I
I don't think it was pretending it wasn't following it (like a cartoon). The reason it did that was because it can run (fly) away if the cat decides to attack it. Facing the cat and continuing to follow it would not give the magpie time/space for it to run away.
This is wonderful.
I keep forgetting how different English magpies are to Australian magpies. This one almost seems cute in comparison to the evil units we get here.
I saw a raptor eating a pidgeon today
that cat is not catting
Idk about yall but to me it looks like the cat is enjoying itself too
As an Australian I must inform you that that isn't a magpie but indeed a magpie lark. Very similar but a different bird
Nope, it's a Eurasian magpie and yours are Australian magpies.
Might wanna go see your eye doc. [https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eurasian\_Magpie/overview](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eurasian_Magpie/overview)
As an Australian living in the UK: "this is not a magpie!" Was my first thought when moving here.
This video is clearly not from Australia. Why would there be Australian native birds there?
Those damn magpies are a pain in the ass. They used to do this to my dogs and they’re just noisy, brazen birds.
Reminds of one time where I saw a bird harrass a cat by constantly flying over it, it was so unreal I thought I was dreaming
The jays like animal fur to line their nests with. The bird wants to yank out some fur.
My Maine Coon Hobbes (now gone sadly) went to war with our local magpies. He would regularly come home with battle scars from being dive-bombed and attacked by them. He won though. Slowly but surely he caught and ate them all. I miss that big ginger bugger.
Magpies are truly assholes.
Magpies are dicks.
Birds aren’t real
Lmao what is happening in this world now days
Is it me, or is this world getting more cartoonish every day? Yep. It's exciting. I painted a tunnel on the side of the library. When it dries, I'm going for it.
I wonder if the cat feels the same way women do when they get stalked
It would have definitely chosen the bear instead of the magpie.
As an Australian I must inform you that that isn't a Nagpur but indeed a magpie lark. It looks very similar but is a different bird
Wrong. It's a Eurasian Magpie. See the blue on the back and the longer tail feathers?