Magpie, White-backed magpie, Black-backed magpie, Makipae, Flute bird
The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a passerine bird most closely related to the Black butcherbird. It is not, however, closely related to the European magpie, which is a corvid. Described as one of Australia's most accomplished songbirds, the Australian magpie has an array of complex vocalisations. Common and widespread, it has adapted well to human habitation and is a familiar bird of parks, gardens, and farmland in Australia and New Guinea. This species is commonly fed by households around the country, but in spring (and occasionally in autumn) a small minority of breeding magpies (almost always males) become aggressive, swooping and attacking those who approach their nests. Research has shown magpies can recognize at least 100 different people, and may be less likely to swoop individuals they have befriended.
The Australian magpie is a medium-sized songbird, with distinctive black and white plumage, gold-brown eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. The male and female are similar in appearance and can be distinguished by differences in back markings. The male has pure white feathers on the back of the head and the female has white blending to grey feathers on the back of the head. With its long legs, the Australian magpie walks rather than waddles or hops and spends much time on the ground.
Australian magpies are found in Australia, southern New Guinea, and Indonesia. They prefer open areas such as grassland, savannah, and fields, and residential areas such as parks, gardens, golf courses, and streets, with scattered trees or forests nearby. They can also be found in mature pine plantations, rainforests, and wet sclerophyll forests.
Australian magpies are diurnal, however, sometimes they can also be heard calling at night. These birds nest and shelter in trees but forage mainly on the ground. On the ground, they move around by walking; magpies have a short femur (thigh bone), and a long lower leg below the knee, suited to walking rather than running, although birds can run in short bursts when hunting prey. Australian magpies have a wide variety of calls, many of which are complex. When alone, a magpie may make a quiet musical warbling. Pairs of magpies often take up a loud musical calling known as carolling to advertise or defend their territory; one bird initiates the call with the second (and sometimes more) joining in. Fledgling and juvenile magpies emit a repeated short and loud, high-pitched begging call. Magpies may indulge in beak-clapping to warn other species of birds. They employ several high-pitched alarm or rallying calls when intruders or threats are spotted. Australian magpies are generally sedentary and territorial throughout their range; they live in groups occupying a territory, or in flocks or fringe groups. A group may occupy and defend the same territory for many years. With the sight of the raptor, the sentinel birds will call and mob of the intruder. They will place themselves on either side of the bird of prey so that it will be attacked from behind should it strike a defender, and harass and drive the raptor away from the territory. Magpies also use several defending displays; in the 'negotiating display', one or two dominant magpies parade along the border of the defended territory while the rest of the group stand back a little and look on. The leaders may fluff their feathers or caroll repeatedly. In a 'group strength display', all magpies will fly and form a row at the border of the territory. The defending group may also perform an aerial display where the dominant magpies, or sometimes the whole group, swoop and dive while calling to warn an intruding magpie's group.
Australian magpies are omnivorous. They eat invertebrates such as earthworms, millipedes, snails, spiders, and scorpions as well as a wide variety of insects - cockroaches, ants, beetles, cicadas, moths and caterpillars, and other larvae. Their diet may also include skinks, frogs, mice, and other small animals as well as grain, tubers, figs, and walnuts.
Australian magpies form strong monogamous pair bonds. They have a long breeding season that varies in different parts of the country; in northern parts of Australia, they will breed between June and September, but not commence until August or September in cooler regions, and may continue until January in some alpine areas. Their nest is a bowl-shaped structure made of sticks and lined with softer material such as grass and bark. Nests are built exclusively by females and generally placed high up in a tree fork, often in an exposed position. The female lays a clutch of 2 to 5 oval light blue or greenish eggs. The chicks hatch around 20 days after incubation begins. The chicks are altricial; they are born pink, naked, and blind with large feet, a short broad beak, and a bright red throat. Their eyes are fully open at around 10 days. Nestlings are fed exclusively by the female, while the male magpie will feed his partner. Australian magpies are known to engage in cooperative breeding, where helper birds assist in feeding and raising young. This behavior is rare in small groups and varies from region to region. Chicks usually begin foraging on their own 3 weeks after leaving the nest and mostly feed themselves by 6 months old. They reach adult size by their first year. The age at which young birds disperse varies across the country. Many leave at around a year old, but the age of departure may range from eight months to four years.
Australian magpies are not considered threatened or endangered. However, these birds are often killed on roads or electrocuted by powerlines, or poisoned after killing and eating house sparrows or mice, rats, or rabbits targeted with baiting. Australian ravens often take nestlings that were left unattended.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Australian magpie total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and their numbers today are increasing.
