Magpie nest Australian Magpies build their nests in upright forks of Eucalypt (gum) trees towards the outer canopy of the tree. They sometimes nest on artificial structures (e.g. electrical transformers, stobie (power) poles, roofs of buildings).
Magpies build their nests in the outer branches of a tree, up to 15 m above the ground. It is constructed from sticks and twigs (occasionally wire), with a small interior bowl lined with grass and hair.
Nevertheless, Magpies usually build a new nest each season even when well preserved old nests are available (Goodwin 1976), which is generally thought to represent an anti- predator strategy (Tatner 1982a).
They build large, domed nests in thorny bushes or high up in tall trees. The female lays on average six greenish-blue eggs, heavily spotted with brown, in April, and incubates them for 18 to 19 days. During this time the male feeds her on the nest.
Magpies usually breed between August and October. Females will typically lay between three and five eggs in early to mid-August and will sit on them for three weeks until they hatch. It's during these times that some males defend their nests – from the time the eggs are laid until the young birds are fledged.
Nesting time is June to December. The nests are a basket of sticks and stems lined with wool, hair, grass and often bits of plastic, string and wire. It takes about 20 days for the eggs to hatch and the young spend 4 weeks in the nest before they fledge, able only to flutter and not fly.
Outside of mating season, magpies are still territorial but generally keep to themselves. In fact, their instinct to be territorial is what makes them so special! They'll stay in the same area, in the same suburb – even on the same street! – for their entire lives.
In the wild, magpies roost in dense thickets where visibility is reduced and darkness deep.
The nest consists of sticks and twigs in a bowl shape, which the female lines with softer materials such as hair, feathers, wool and shredded bark. The female Australian Magpie lays between 1 - 5 eggs, which she incubates (keeps warm) for around 3 weeks.
“Both magpies and pigeons average 10 hours of sleep per night. We found that magpies lost more NREM sleep under white light than amber light. By comparison, pigeons lost around four hours of sleep under both white and amber light,” Dr Lesku said.
Don't remove/destroy nests – magpies may re-nest which then extends the breeding (and swooping) season.
What do they eat? Magpies feed on small insects and animals that live on, or just under, the surface of the ground. A favourite is the scarab beetle, which is a major pest of garden lawns. Magpies will also eat frogs, small lizards, meat scraps and grain.
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.
Magpies sing to reinforce their claim on their territory, mostly at dawn and dusk. Image: Michelle Hall. But while we are all familiar with the magpie's melodious carolling, we are perhaps less familiar with their other calls. Magpies use many different calls, including grunting noises, to communicate.
"One for Sorrow" is a traditional children's nursery rhyme about magpies. According to an old superstition, the number of magpies seen tells if one will have bad or good luck. "One for Sorrow" Three magpies in a tree.
Raw meat, cheese and bread off the menu
Brisbane bird and exotic animal vet Deborah Monks said raw meat and mince, although popular, did the most damage to magpie health. "I wouldn't recommend raw mince on its own because it doesn't have enough calcium in it," she said.
Natural predators of magpies include various species of monitor lizard and the barking owl. 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. The Australian raven may take nestlings left unattended.
Magpies have several predators including domestic cats, dogs, foxes, and owls. Also, they can have eggs as well as chicks stolen out of their nest by raccoons, hawks, weasels, and mink.
Taking a piece of mince or taking a wide berth around the magpies nest may eventually convince the nervous magpie that he does not need to deter this individual anymore because she or he poses little or no risk, and who knows, may even become a friend in future.
When magpies have formed an attachment they will often show their trust, for example, by formally introducing their offspring. They may allow their chicks to play near people, not fly away when a resident human is approaching, and actually approach or roost near a human.
Although magpies will peck around in the soil looking for insects, the main garden damage is done to the lawn where they create holes while looking for grubs, such as leatherjackets and chafer grubs. That being said, magpies are a useful control for these two root-eating plant pests.
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].
The common magpie is one of the most intelligent birds—and one of the most intelligent animals to exist. Their brain-to-body-mass ratio is outmatched only by that of humans and equals that of aquatic mammals and great apes.
Use Decoys And Reflective Objects
There's one thing magpies are really scared of – flashing lights. You can keep magpies at bay by placing any reflective object in your yard.
They are unlikely to be accepted by wild magpies and have little chance of pair bonding and raising their own families. Magpies must not be converted into pets. It is illegal to take animals from the wild and keep them in captivity.