magpies

The Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a medium-sized black and white song-bird. Family - Artamidae. The magpie is native to Australia and New Guinea and is related to currawongs and butcher birds.
Magpies are about 37-43 cm long, they have black and white feathers, a solid wedge-shaped black and white bill with a hook at the end and long, strong black legs. The head and wings are black with white napes and shoulders. There is a black band at the end of the tail. The plumage is glossy.
The wingspan is 65 - 85 cm and they weight about 220 - 350 g.

Visit Sydney's Best Surviving Rainforest and Bird Reserve Australian Rainforest Sanctuary Wildlife Park

There are nine sub-species of the Australian Magpie.

BLACK-BACKED

1. Gymnorhina tibicen tibicen - found in South East Queensland through to the Victorian border. A large size bird mainly found on the coast.

2. Gymnorhina tibicen terraereginae - found in North Queensland, Central and Western New South Wales and the Northern part of South Australia. This is my local magpie. It is small to medium in size and found mainly in inland areas.

3. Gymnorhina tibicen eylandtensis - This magpie is found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. A small sized magpie.

4. Gymnorhina tibicen longirostis - Found in the Northern half of Western Australia to the Pilbara. A medium-sized bird with a long bill.

WHITE-BACKED

5. Gymnorhina tibicen papuana - Found in Southern New Guinea.

6. Gymnorhina tibicen telonocua - Found throughout South Australia.

7. Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica - This is a very large magpie found around the South Coast of New South Wales through to Southern Victoria and South Australia.

8. Gymnorhina tibicen hypoleuca - The Tasmanian Magpie. This is a small-sized magpie found throughout Tasmania and also on King and Flinders Islands.

9. Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis - The Western Magpie. Found throughout South-western Western Australia.

Magpies have a musical warbling call but baby magpies just squawk. Magpies live in grasslands, fields, golf courses, gardens in residential areas, tree-lined streets and parks. They nest high in trees and forage on the ground in open areas. They are territorial and feed during the day. Magpies will take food from humans. My parents have been feeding the same nesting pair in their garden for many years. They bring their babies down to visit and feed also. They actually tap on the kitchen window when they see my mum at the kitchen sink. They get fed minced beef, steak, chicken and they love the dog food roll that mum buys for them. Mum has no trouble with starlings anymore since the magpies moved in.
I didn't believe it when I saw them knocking on the kitchen window.
When magpies don't get fed by humans they eat worms, snails, spiders and cockroaches(yuk), ants, beetles, caterpillars and moths. They will also eat frogs, mice, grains, figs and walnuts.

Breeding

Magpies have a long breeding season.
In northern hotter parts of Australia the season lasts from June to September.
In southern cooler parts of Australia the season lasts from August to January.

The female magpie builds the nest high up in a fork of a tree. The nest is bowl-shaped and made up of twigs and lined with grass and bark and sometimes synthetic material that the magpie had found.
The magpie lays between 2 and 5 eggs. They are light blue or green.
The babies hatch about 20 days after incubation.
The chicks are born pink, naked and blind. They have big feet and short beak and a bright red throat. Downy feathers develop in the first week and the eyes open at 10 days old.
Dad feeds mum and only mum feeds the chicks.
The chicks stay with the parents for a long time and even though they become old enough to feed themselves they still like mum to feed them. (Sounds like some adults that I know!)

SWOOPING

Magpies are not afraid of people. They swoop to protect the nest and the chicks as they feel threatened. They swoop from behind and snap their beaks. This is very frightening. Injuries are quite common. Cyclists have been knocked off their bikes, babies have been injured in their prams, and joggers and walkers have had injuries to the head and eyes. It's best to avoid magpie nesting areas but this can be difficult when they are everywhere.
Some cyclists fix a pole with a flag on the bike, this seems to help. Some children getting attacked in school playgrounds have resorted to wearing an ice-cream carton on the head, with a face drawn on the top. If you are attacked, waving the arms overhead and shouting will deter a second attack. If you are pecked, seek medical advise as you may need a tetanus shot.
Although the magpie is common it is illegal in Australia to kill or harm a magpie as they are protected. Rogue magpies that have a record of aggressive attacks can be caught and killed by authorities.

PREDATORS

Animal predators include the Monitor lizard and the Barking owl. Many magpies are killed by traffic, power lines and poisoning after eating mice that have been baited.

Camping Gear, Tents, Sleeping Bags, Books