Like most birds, a magpie should have 12 tail feathers. I was surprised to find eight magpie tail feathers on the ground below the bird feeders, including all six right-sided feathers and both central feathers (I have rearranged them for the photo!).
At first I thought the magpie might have been attacked by a sparrowhawk but there were no other feathers around. Then I wondered if the feathers had been pulled out in a fight with a crow. Both birds are regulars under my feeders and they don't get on, particularly at this time of year when they are inclined to eat each others' egg or chicks. A few minutes later two magpies turned up, one with half a tail, and they were chased off by a carrion crow!
The next morning I managed a photo of the magpie while the crow wasn't looking. It still looks a bit cross.
The magpie's tail will regrow and it seems to be flying fairly normally. In the meantime I can marvel at the colours in this black and white bird.
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