Magpie

“One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy”.  There cannot be many birds that have had superstitious rhymes written about them, but the magpie certainly counts among that number! The idea is that the sight of a single magpie is a bad omen, but two seen together is another matter. Likewise, a pregnant woman can expect to have a girl if she sees three, and so on. There are all sorts of logistical problems with this doggerel, such what it might mean if you see two magpies, then three, then four and then one, but that’s another matter!

The magpie (Pica pica) is a member of the crow family (corvids) that are known to be among the cleverest of birds, and the magpie is particularly noted for its ability to work things out and use tools to perform certain operations.

The magpie (also known as the common or Eurasian magpie) is found across Europe and into Asia. There are many subspecies and related species that are found in other parts of the world. In the United Kingdom magpies are found throughout the country except for the Scottish highlands and islands. They are also missing from areas where there are few trees, such as upland areas and parts of eastern England.

Magpies are birds of both town and countryside. Rural magpies congregate on farms, while those in towns are often seen on the grass verges of busy roads, where discards from car windows, plus roadkill, provide a ready source of food.

Magpies have faced threats in the past due to being persecuted by gamekeepers who believed that they took the eggs of game birds. Habitat loss has also been a problem with the removal of many hedgerows. However, the migration of magpies to urban areas, and the general decline of gamekeeping, should ensure that the magpie continues to be a common and thriving species.

Appearance

Magpies are about 40-50 centimetres (16-20 inches) in length, with about half of that being the tail. The crown of the head is quite flat and the bill short and powerful. The eyes are dark brown and the legs and feet black.

The magpie is one of the most easily recognised birds, with its black head, back and chest and white underparts. The wings are also black and white, with the white outer halves of the wings being tipped with back.

However, a closer look reveals that the magpie is not completely “pied”. The wing feathers also have a purplish-blue sheen and the wedge-shaped tail is iridescent dark green with a reddish-purple band near the tip.

Males and females are similar in appearance although the males are slightly larger.

Behaviour and feeding

Magpies are not rapid flyers, with a somewhat fluttering flight, but they will sometimes glide for long stretches, such as from a high rooftop to the ground. They are often seen on the ground, walking or hopping with the tail raised.

The magpie has a noisy and unmusical voice, especially when warning off potential threats with a repeated “chacker chacker”. However, it does also have a softer song that is more difficult to hear.

  

Magpies are omnivorous, which is one important reason for their success as a species. They will take fruit and berries and also carrion. They will take live prey, such as small mammals, and will raid the nests of other bird species for eggs and young. They have been blamed for killing songbirds in gardens, but are probably less of a threat than are domestic cats.

One way in which magpies demonstrate their intelligence is their habit of storing excess food, which they do by making a small hole in the ground, regurgitating food into it, and covering it over. The food will be recovered a few days later.

Breeding

Nest building begins in mid-winter, high in a tree or tall shrub. The nest is a substantial affair, built from twigs and mud and lined with softer material. The nest forms a dome with the entrance on one side. Five or six eggs are laid in late March or afterwards, and incubation (by the female) takes around 20 days. The young leave the nest at around 25 days but do not leave their parents until some six weeks later.

© John Welford