Australian Magpie

The Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen is a medium-sized black and white bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. It is closely related to the butcherbirds and currawongs in the Artamidae family. Early European settlers named it for its black and white coloration, similar to the familiar European magpie, which is a distant relative. At one stage it was considered to be three separate species, though zones of hybridization between forms reinforced the idea of it as one species with several subspecies. In fact nine are now recognized.

The Australian Magpie is omnivorous, with the bulk of its varied diet made up of invertebrates. It is common and widespread. Familiar birds around Australia and New Guinea, magpies were introduced into New Zealand in the 1860s and are proving to be a pest by displacing native birds.

Taxonomy

The Australian Magpie was originally described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1802. Its specific name derived from the Latin tibicen "flute-player" or "piper" in reference to the bird's melodious call. An early recorded vernacular name is Piping Roller, written on a painting by Thomas Watling, one of a group known collectively as the Port Jackson Painter, sometime between 1788 and 1792. Tarra-won-nang was an early recorded native name from the Sydney region, while booroogong and garoogong were Wiradjuri words, and carrak was a Jardwadjali term from Victoria

The bird was called a magpie for the similarity to the similarly coloured European Magpie; it was a common practice for early settlers to name plants and animals after European counterparts. However, the latter bird is a member of the Corvidae while the Australian Magpie, though a member of a broad corvid lineage, is currently classified in the Artamidae family. Early on the affinities with butcherbirds and currawongs was recognised and the three genera placed in the family Cracticidae; subsequent studies have revealed the closeness of relations with the woodswallows with the sinking of the family into Artamidae.

Classification

• G. tibicen tibicen, found in eastern New South Wales

• G. tibicen terraereginae found across Queensland, central and western New South Wales and into northern South Australia

• G. tibicen eylandtensis, found across the Northern Territory

• G. tibicen longirostris, found across northern Western Australia

The White-backed Magpie, originally described as G. hypoleuca by John Gould in 1837, has similarly been split into races:

• G. tibicen tyrannica, a very large white backed form found across southern Victoria

• G. tibicen telonocua, found in southern South Australia.

• The Tasmanian Magpie, G. tibicen hypoleuca a small white-backed subspecies with a short compact bill found on King and Flinders Islands, as well as Tasmania.

• The Western Magpie, G. tibicen dorsalis was originally described as a separate species by A. J. Campbell in 1895 and is found in the fertile south-west corner of Western Australia.

• G. tibicen papuana, found in southern New Guinea.

These three races, tibicen, hypoleuca and dorsalis, were for many years considered separate species; however, they were noted to hybridise readily where their territories cross, with hybrid grey or striped-backed magpies being quite common.

Description

Males and females are generally similar in appearance, though a few exceptions noted under individual varieties below.

Mature magpies have red eyes, in contrast to the yellow eyes of currawongs and white eyes of Australian ravens and crows. Immature birds have darker brownish eyes.

Butcherbirds are generally smaller and stockier, while magpie larks are delicate birds with white eyes.

Australian Magpies generally live to around 25 years of age, though possibly up to 30 years has been recorded.

Australian Magpies have a musical warbling call. In his poem, The Magpies, noted New Zealand poet Denis Glover wrote "quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle, the magpies said". In contrast, young magpies squawk almost continuously.

Behaviour

Magpies are almost exclusively diurnal, though may call into the night, like all members of the Artamidae. Natural predators of magpies include various species of monitor lizard and the Barking Owl.

Diet

Reproduction

Swooping

Magpies tend not to be afraid of people, and they live in urban areas as often as in the bush, so magpies are a familiar sight to most Australians, and their melodic song is widely enjoyed. However, if magpies feel threatened while nesting (Nesting takes place between August and October), even by an inadvertent intrusion into their territory, they will often swoop at the intruder and audibly "snap" their beaks in an attempt to drive them away. Magpies generally swoop from behind, and without warning, so attacks can be somewhat terrifying, particularly to children. For this reason, local authorities sometimes post warning signs during "swooping season", particularly in urban parks. Magpie attacks can cause injuries, typically wounds to the head and eyes. Being unexpectently swooped while cycling, can result in loss of control of the bicycle, resulting in injury and is not uncommon.

If it is necessary to walk near the nest, some people prefer to wear protection such as a bicycle helmet or upturned empty ice-cream container. Magpies prefer to swoop at the back of the head; therefore, keeping the magpie in sight at all times can discourage the bird. Using a basic disguise to fool the magpie as to where a person is looking (such as painting eyes on a hat, or wearing sunglasses on the back of the head) can also prove effective, as can holding an object above one's head. In some cases, magpies may become extremely aggressive and attack people's faces; it may become very difficult to deter these birds from swooping. If a bird presents a serious nuisance the local authorities may arrange for that bird to be legally euthanised, or more commonly, to be caught and relocated to an unpopulated area.

It is claimed by some that swooping can be prevented by feeding the magpies. By this is meant not putting out a feeder, but feeding them in person. The idea is that humans thereby get removed from the "danger" category. As always when feeding wildlife, feeding should be irregular so as to discourage dependence.

Tameness

Australian Magpies are territorial, and this presents the opportunity for people to get acquainted with the local pairs and their offspring.