COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor B. Bonner

"Residents in Clondalkin have expressed concern to me at the ever increasing magpie population in the area.  There have been several attacks on family pets and instances of songbirds being killed by magpies.  Does the council have any role in controlling the populations of bird species when it appears that there is a problem like this?"

REPLY:

In recent years, magpie populations have been seen to rise in urban environments. Due to their scavenging nature, the urban environment provides abundant waste food litter to attract this species. While magpies are known to take the eggs and the young of other birds, this predation is normally restricted to a relatively short period of the year during their own breeding season. For most of the rest of the year they take a wide range of other foods. Detailed bird census work has shown no major decline in the populations of small birds that may be attributed to Magpies. A fluctuation in the numbers of small birds is more usually seen to be associated with habitat change or severe winters.

Council has no responsibility in the control of species such as magpies. Residents are advised that the use of poison is illegal in most cases and is not recommended as a method of control for Magpies, particularly in suburban circumstances where children and other bird and mammal species can be affected. In any case, where magpies are common, control measures are unlikely to be effective in the long term, as new birds will quickly move in to replace those which have been removed.

Survival of smaller birds in gardens can be assisted by providing greater cover for nests e.g. by the retention or planting of dense hedges, bushes and creepers which may diminish the level of magpie interference or predation on nests.  Particularly good are evergreens such as laurel, yew and ivy, especially when they are planted close to the house.