Why do magpies chase barn owls?
I don’t know about in the UK, but in Canada barn owls aren’t a whole lot bigger than magpies – and if there are several magpies its easy to understand that the owl wouldn’t stand enough of a chance of winning the fight to make it worth fighting off the magpies. The magpies probably harass or “tease” the barn owl for similar reasons that magpies tease cats – they’re predators and steal chicks when they can get them. Magpies don’t usually actively engage in close-contact fights, but they may dive-bomb anyone (even humans) that they think might be dangerous. Even if it looks like they might be righting the owl, its unlikely that they will actually set beak or talon to flesh.
