An uncommon alternative name for the Australian Magpie is Flute Bird. The magpie can mimic over 35 species of native and introduced bird species, as well as other animal calls, such as those of dogs and horses. Magpies have also been noted to mimic human speech, when living in close proximity to humans.
Other common names have included “piping roller” and “flute-bird”.
Garru is the Wiradjuri word for Magpie. Garru is a very important budyaan (bird) in our country.
The scientific name of a Black-billed magpie is Pica hudsonia. The word Pica is medieval Latin. It was given to a magpie because the bird has a reputation for eating almost anything. Some other common names for this bird include the American magpie, Maggie, and Flute-bird.
Magpies of the genus Cyanopica are found in East Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. The birds called magpies in Australia are, however, not related to the magpies in the rest of the world.
The Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen, is a medium-size corvid related to crows, jays, and ravens. Their distinctive song — described by a famous Kiwi poet as “quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle” — is ever-present background noise across most of the continent, much like the calls of robins in North America.
A member of the Artamidae, the Australian magpie is placed in its own genus Gymnorhina and is most closely related to the black butcherbird (Melloria quoyi). It is not closely related to the European magpie, which is a corvid.
Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told.
Nine for a kiss, Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss, Eleven for health, Twelve for wealth, Thirteen beware it's the devil himself.
Harmony Insectivore Mix is a safe and healthy way to attract wild insectivorous birds such as kookaburras, magpies, sparrows and swallows to your backyard. This Insectivore Mix provides wild birds with a rich and balanced source of quality protein along with essential vitamins and minerals.
The Australian aborigines have a legend about the Kookaburra. When the sun rose for the first time, the god Bayame ordered the kookaburra to utter its loud, almost human laughter in order to wake up mankind so that they should not miss the wonderful sunrise.
Australian Magpie—unique traits
In the following, Australian Magpie is named as a butcherbird (i.e., the term is used in the broad sense); the term 'core Cracticus' indicates all butcherbirds excluding Australian Magpie and Black Butcherbird.
"The crow is sacred and most Aboriginal people will not kill the crow," he said. "Aboriginal people have different stories about how they spread messages and lead people to safety if they're lost.
The five native species of Corvids (crows and ravens) in Australia are the Australian Raven, Little Raven, Little Crow, Forest Raven, and the Torresian Crow. They are all quite similar – ravens being perhaps slightly larger – and some can be difficult to tell apart in the field without close scrutiny.
What Is A Group of Magpies Called? There are many collective nouns for magpies, but perhaps the most common names for a group of magpies are a conventicle, gulp, mischief, tidings or tribe of magpies[i].
Eleven for health. Twelve for wealth. Thirteen beware it's the devil himself.
In order to ward off bad luck, greet the sight of a lone Pica pica with the words: 'Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the other little magpies? '
Males are white around the back of the neck, upper tail and shoulders. Females are grey coloured in these places. Magpies brown eyes and white colourings are the best way to tell them apart from other black and white birds like the Butcherbird or Pied Currawong.
The magpie-robins or shamas (from shama, Bengali and Hindi for C. malabaricus) are medium-sized insectivorous birds (some also eat berries and other fruit) in the genus Copsychus. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
an incessantly talkative person; noisy chatterer; chatterbox.
The Javan Green Magpie is one of the rarest and most endangered birds in the world.
The well-known magpie rhyme goes: One for sorrow Two for joy Three for a girl Four for a boy Five for silver Six for gold Seven for a secret, never to be told Eight for a wish Nine for a kiss Ten for a bird you must not miss .
The diet of a magpie
Their main diet in summer is grassland invertebrates, such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms and leatherjackets. In winter, they eat more plant material, such as wild fruits, berries and grains, with household scraps and food scavenged from bird tables or chicken runs, pet foods etc.
The months following fledging are a dangerous time for young magpies, with a high percentage failing to make it through the first year. If the young birds survive to breed, their average life expectancy is around three years. Some live much longer than this, with the oldest recorded being more than 21 years old.
Australian Magpies are strongly territorial and defend their territories both from other magpies as well as potential predators. Unfortunately, some individual magpies perceive humans as a potential threat and accordingly, swoop down with a fast warning flight, occasionally making contact.