A group of Australian ecologists knew magpies are a highly social species, but when the songbirds joined forces to thwart the researchers’ plans to track them, they discovered that the birds were far more altruistic and coordinated than expected.
The researchers from Queensland wanted to collect data from Australian magpies using mini GPS trackers—a common tool used in animal research—to gather information such as their patterns or schedule throughout the day. They also sought to investigate how age, sex or dominance rank affect their activities.
