Speaking of magpies, I believe many people like it more! It is not only a good helper to help people catch pests, but also a kind of auspicious bird, but what puzzles many people is that in nature, magpies have almost no natural enemies, and we humans will not take the initiative to kill, but now the number is getting smaller and smaller.
In particular, the magpie is mentioned in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which was developed in 2006 and has been listed as a priority bird in some areas. What led them to where they are today? Is there an existential crisis?
The story of the magpie
There are many more auspicious stories about magpies, and the most well-known ones are the Tanabata Queqiao Bridge and the magpie saving stories.
In ancient times, the granddaughter of the Heavenly Emperor ran to the mortal world to fall in love with the mortal Niulang and had a child, and the Heavenly Emperor found out and brought it back to the Heavenly Court, and ordered to cut off contact with niulang.
The love of the cowherd weaver girl touched the heavens, so they were allowed to meet each other at the beginning of July every year, because the cowherd could not fly to the sky to meet the weaver girl, so a group of magpies built a magpie bridge with their bodies, so that the cowherd weaver girl could meet through the queqiao bridge.
Legend has it that during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, there was a magpie's nest in front of the door of a person named Li Jingyi, who often fed magpies and would play with magpies, and established a deep affection for each other.
But Li Jingyi was innocently and unjustly imprisoned, and was sentenced to execution shortly after, Li Jingyi was very panicked, at this time the magpies that had been fed before chirped outside the prison, Li Jingyi felt that he had been saved, and within a few days, he was acquitted.
In this regard, people explained that the magpie became a human and falsely passed on the holy will, so that Li Jingyi could be rescued.
It is not difficult to see that due to the good background legend of the magpie and its protection of crops from insect infestation, coupled with the harmonic sound, many people regard the magpie as a beautiful thing, giving it luck, auspiciousness, romance, loyalty and other colors, so they will not hunt them.
Why are there fewer and fewer magpies
There are 5 main reasons why magpies have fewer and fewer natural enemies in nature.
1. The harm of pesticides
Because magpies mainly eat insects or rats and crops in the field, but in order to increase food production, people will spray a lot of pesticides in the field, and will put a lot of rat poison, and more importantly, the seeds of crops will also mix a lot of pesticides.
Many insects have a lot of pesticide toxins in their bodies, which will accumulate in the body after being eaten by magpies, and the seeds spilled after sowing will also be eaten by magpies.
2. Humans cut down trees in large quantities
Since magpies will build their nests on trees, although the magpies can fly away after the trees are cut down, the eggs and cubs in the nest will die; And magpies take a long time to build their nests, and those magpies that are about to lay eggs can only produce on the ground, and the snakes and rats on the ground are also very deadly to their threat.
3. The harm of bird catching nets
Because magpies will peck at melons and grains in humans, many melon farmers who lack awareness of protection will set up a lot of anti-bird nets, if they are caught by anti-bird nets, magpies can only be hung to death, which can be said to be very pitiful.
4. Threats of human activities
Because the magpie in order to find food, will reduce the flight altitude, but the ground plane, train, car, etc. the speed is very fast, if the birds are too late to dodge, will be hit to pieces, because in order to prevent traffic accidents, the plane will release ultrasonic waves to drive away, birds will be disturbed after the loss of appetite, anorexia, the birds are very harmful, and even some birds are disturbed by ultrasonic waves, will directly die.
5, the living environment is reduced
Due to the construction of the urban environment, the water source in many places is polluted, and the water source in many places is dry, and the survival of birds is a great threat; There is also the development of electricity, which has led to the fall of many high-voltage lines that are not insulated, and birds flying on the wires will be killed by electric shocks.
summary
The decline in the number of magpies is ultimately related to humans, and we must realize that the protection of magpies is imperative, and as long as the environment is protected, the number of magpies can increase.
Finally, in order for the magpie to not become a legend, we in Ha City should protect it well and avoid the extinction of magpies due to human activities.