Magpies-do they have an effect on our small birds?

Should magpies be culled?

Magpies like the rest of the crow or corvid family which include rooks, jays, ravens, choughs, and nutcrackers are all known for their intelligence and adaptability. But theres no getting away from it that they are unpopular with some people because they raid nests taking eggs and chicks. Magpie numbers have doubled since the 1970`s where we have seen farmland and garden birds suffer dramatic declines. Is there a link-are magpies responsible? Do magpies make any difference to the overall survival rates for our songbirds? No, magpies and crows have lived alongside our farmland and garden birds for thousands of years. Songbirds can deal with there presence . The way they deal with it is by having more chicks to make up for any numbers they may have lost. They are the masters of probability, because they know that by having lots broods and chicks they can deal with the predators. But some gamekeepers might not agree, larson traps are used on some estates to trap magpies and other corvid members. Which are then killed humanely. Gamekeepers control the amount of magpies and crows where they keep game birds(grey partridge and pheasants) because they say they(magpies and crows) have a damaging effect on their game birds. But the B.T.O  looked at thirty song birds species, which are prey species and seven predator species. Both predators on adult birds, hawks and kestrels and also predators on nestlings and eggs of songbirds-magpies,crows and grey squirrels. There were very few significant relationships between the growth in the predator population and the decline in the songbird population. From this evidence magpies have little or no effect on overall populations of songbirds. Songbird survival trust isn`t convinced that predation can be dismissed entirely. They don`t pretend its the major factor necessarily . Habitats,nest sites and food supply are as likely as predation. Predation is a major factor that hasn`t been looked at properly. More likely though the decline is down to farming and land use practices than predation. Even though song bird survival aren`t satisfied, everything else that i have read say the decline is down to habitat issues rather that predation. It seems predation can be a problem at a local level. The r.s.p.b control magpies and crows on some of there reserves. In some cases the numbers of songbirds have fallen to such a low because of changes in habitat that a predator such as a magpie or a sparrowhawk can be the final straw because the population of songbirds will be low anyway.There is a lot of evidence to say that magpies and crows have no overall effect on our songbird population. Magpies will always raid nests to survive . I think though that nature will find its own balance and that the magpie is a scapegoat because as humans our emotions take over,