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From a distance the Magpie is a black and white crow with a long tail. The tail accounts for over half the total length of the bird and is an indication of the bird's status in its society.

The head, breast and back are black, the shoulders patches, belly and flanks are white. The black wings and tail, however, are a beautiful glossy, iridescent blue, green and purple. The bill and legs are black.

Juvenile Magpies have much shorter tails than their parents, the white of the plumage is dirtier, and the black is less glossy.





In the spring, large numbers of Magpies often gather to resolve territorial conflicts and social standing. These gatherings, called parliaments, probably gave rise to the many nursery rhymes and poems about Magpies, such as:

One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.
Eight for heaven, nine for hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.

Or more commonly:

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 that's best to miss.



Magpies are very vocal birds, but the harsh repeated chattering "chacker chacker" call of the Magpie is unmistakable.
Feeding

They have quite a varied diet in their original rural habitat - insects, rodents, carrion, eggs and nestlings, grain, berries and fruit.

This variety carries over into the suburban garden where they will also eat allsorts of kitchen scraps and bird foods.
Nesting

Both birds build the large nest, which can take several weeks to complete, from small branches and twigs, and line it with mud and vegetation. The nest is usually in a large tree (but sometimes in pylons) and domed to prevent predation by other crows, but some birds do not bother.




The hen lays and incubates eggs that are smooth, glossy and pale blue with olive-brown or grey spots. The eggs are about 35 mm by 24 mm. During the breeding season, the hen can often be identified by having bent or damaged tail feathers.

Both parents feed the young after they have hatched.
Breeding Data Breeding Starts Number of Clutches Number of Eggs Incubation (days) Fledge (days)
early April 1 5-8 21-23 22-28

Movements

Magpies are sedentary birds, rarely moving far from their birth place.



Conservation


Magpies are persecuted by gamekeepers but to a much lesser extent than before the last century. The population increased during the last century, especially as the birds adapted to modern living and moved into urban and suburban areas, and had stabilised by the 1980s.

Old before his time, treading his own path, oblivious to others, arrogant in the extreme, serious about getting things right. All worryingly familiar...

We often fight, he and I. Because he's me, and I irritate myself. But he's me, not because he wants to be me; he's me beacuse he has the same brain pattern. It's my fault. I've done it to him. He didn't want it. But that's him now. He'll just have to make the best of it.

As an adult I feel best when in control. It's harder for him, because he needs the same, but he's not in a position to demand it. His body is that of a 10 year old and his mind must be raw from hammering at the cell door.

I often wish I could make his childhood more of a fun period, but that didn't work for me, so it probably won't for him. Childhood is a constraint to be suffered. He's making the best of it, but it's not where his happiness lies. That will come later. It will kick in when he's about 19.

What I haven't said is how much I love him. That's for me to tell him, not you...