Australian Magpie

The Australian Magpie is a familiar bird throughout all the states of Australia. Birders identify this medium sized bird quickly and easily because of their white and black and some having grayish coloring. Adult male magpies in Western Australia display a pure white back. English settlers in Australia named the bird after the Magpie of Europe. Both birds are colored black and white, but not closely related.

INTERESTING FACTS- The Australian Magpie is a very smart bird. One of Australia’s major football teams, Collingwood, use the bird’s colors and call themselves The Magpies.

The Australian Magpies have a similarity to crows or big shrikes but not related.

The strong and comparatively lengthy bills is colored a smoky gray white with an ebony point. The eyes of the Australian Magpie are mahogany colored and the feet are black. The adult bird stands approximately 16 inches in height and has a wingspan of about 30 inches.

They need eucalyptus forests with high trees for nesting and shelter. For feeding purposes they need open areas. If they can’t find a large forest of trees they will nest wherever any trees exist. The Australian Magpie has adjusted and prospered in metropolitan and farm lands. People in suburban areas find Australian magpies in their gardens and some birds become totally domesticated.

Magpies have a mixed sociable society. They associate with each others two main groups. One group is a tribe and the other a flock. A tribe includes two to ten birds, both male and female, that live in an area of about 2400 acres. In a tribe there is never more than four birds of the same sex.

They energetically protect this breeding and feeding section against other magpies. A flock contains young adults and older birds that can’t form a tribe or achieve entrance to a breeding and feeding terrain.

The Australian Magpie is a tree nester and makes a bowl shaped nest. They build their nests high off the ground and is a bulky structure mainly of twigs and material like barbed wire, match boxes, old spoons, glass and pieces of china. The female magpie who does most of the nest building generally builds their nests in tall fascinating trees like pines, macrocarpras, eucalyptus or willows.

After the young birds hatched during August to October, the nesting season, both the male and female magpies defend the nest by dive bombing possible intruders. Birders shouldn’t go near the nest during this period. They rear only one chick.

The eggs vary in color from brown to bluish green and have dark brown splotches and spots.

The magpies’ numbers expanded over the years since their introduction. Females seldom breed successfully until they are at least three years old and males may even be older. Once the young are born both parents and some previous year offsprings help to feed the immature birds.

Their call is a noisy, whistle like crooning call that people hear in the bush land and their gardens. Sometimes birders hear the magpie croon on bright moonlit nights.

The Australian Magpie prefers nearby clearings, where it seeks bugs, worms, spiders, frogs, lizards and even carrion and other small animals to eat. The magpie has an economic value because they eat many harmful insects and pests.