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Australian Magpie

(Gymnorhina tibicen)
Aboriginal names: "burrugaabu" [gamilaraay], "burrugarrbuu" [yuwaalaraay]
Size: 37-44 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are several races of Australian Magpies, which are found over much of the Australian continent. Nominate race "tibicen" is roughly found in northern NSW and in QLD, as well as most of the NT and some parts of WA. Race "leuconata" is found in VIC, south-western NSW and most of SA, including the southernmost part of the NT. Race "dorsalis" is found in the south-western part of WA and race "hypoleuca" in Tasmania.

Australian Magpies are found in various types of habitat, from the semi-desert of the red centre to the coastal fringe, including cities. They prefer open country with scattered trees.

Sightings

Australian Magpies (race "tibicen") are one of the most common bird species in our area near Narrabri, NSW. They are territorial birds, which live in their territories in family units of normally up to 10 members. Also sighted on a trip to the east of the Great Dividing Range, in the area from Armidale to Dorrigo, NSW.

Seen by us also on a trip to outback NSW and South Australia in March 2008, basically everywhere we went. As opposed to Magpie-larks, we found Australian Magpies in the most remote locations, after several years of drought.

Race "leuconota" was seen and photographed by C. Kellenberg at Narooma, NSW, in February 2009 and at Lakes National Park, VIC, in March 2009.

Twitcher's tip

Usually any Australian Magpie swooping close to its nest is a female. To deter her from coming up from behind you it may help to put sunglasses on the wrong way round - this way the bird will think that you are looking at it; and it won't attack from the front (they are too clever to do that!).

Photos

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Race "tibicen"

This race is also called "Black-backed Magpie".

Near-frontal view of a male

The male bird as above, now accompanied by a Noisy Miner

Portrait of a curious female Australian Magpie ("tibicen")

Different frontal perspective

Lateral view of a female bird on our lawn

Dorsal view of the same female as shown above

Here a female Australian Magpie straight out of the bathtub

This one is still taking a shower...

... and here another female drying its plumage in the sun

Admittedly, the bird is difficult to see, but this is the bird's intention - Australian Magpies roost in dense foliage of tall tress such as this eucalypt; the bird was about 8 m high and almost invisible; the light-blue dot is its eye reflecting some of the flash's light - without having seen where this bird and its partner settled in for the night we would not have been able to find them

Frontal view of an immature, probably female, Australian Magpie

Here a near-lateral view of an immature male bird

Lateral view of an immature, probably female, Australian Magpie

Two youngsters following one of their parents begging for food

Fledgling Australian Magpie

Race "leuconota"

This race is also called "White-backed Magpie".

View of the back of a female Australian Magpie "leuconota"; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

View of the back of an immature female Australian Magpie "leuconota"; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Oct Eggs: 3 - 5 Incubation period: 20 days Fledging age: 28 days

Australian Magpies, especially females (who incubate the eggs and carry most of the responsibility for caring for the chicks), are very protective of their nests. They are one of a few bird species that swoop on humans and they are not afraid of making contact and drawing blood to get their message across.

Nest

Type: Basket Material: Sticks, with grass and/or feather lining Height above ground: 5 - 20 m

Australian Magpie sitting on its nest incubating

Australian Magpie on the edge of its nest

The same bird as above, diving towards the destination of its next foraging expedition

Here the chick that has fled its nest, four weeks later

Closer view of an Australian Magpie's nest

Eggs

Size: 38 x 25 mm Colour: Olive-green, with irregular brown pattern Shape: Tapered oval

Fragments of an Australian Magpie egg found not far from a nest; this eggshell, which looks as if opened by the hatchling, was found around the time of the arrival of the large, migratory cuckoos, who won't get a chance to cheat this pair of "Maggies"...

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Pair/family clan

Every attempt by us to describe the behavioural patterns of Australian Magpies would be preposterous, considering that there is the very enlightening book "Australian Magpie" by Gisela Kaplan (CSIRO Publishing). But a bit more local "gossip" can be added.

At our former home, 20 km south of Narrabri, Australian Magpies were winter guests, because during summertime they are hustled into the bush by the local family of Willie Wagtails.

A family of "Maggies" were residents 20 km east of Narrabri in 2007 and subsequent years since then (sharing their territory with Willie Wagtails).

It may be noteworthy that, apart from some parrots and cockatoos, Australian Magpies are one of the few bird species known to us that show playful behaviour (immature birds; see photo below).

At our place, 20 km east of Narrabri, where there are plenty of suitable trees around for nesting, the local pair of Australian Magpies will not allow any Australian Ravens around their nest. However, on a broadacre farm near Bellata, NSW, where there is only one suitable tree within kilometers, Australian Magpies nest in the same tree as Australian Ravens.

Two immature Australian Magpies playing with each other, much in the same way as two dog pups would, while the parents are keeping an eye on the surroundings

In 2007, the local Australian Magpies in the Narrabri area started swooping on people coming too close to their nesting trees around August - a good indication that their breeding season had begun.

Australian Magpies are fiercely territorial birds that we have seen chasing and hustling various other bird species. They sometimes have a go at Crested Pigeons (with what we took to be intent to kill; we have also once seen a Magpie plucking a Crested Pigeon). Also seen by us hustling whole family clans of White-winged Choughs.

We have seen an Australian Raven hustle an Australian Magpie, stealing its prey in flight. When the Magpie let go of the small lizard it had caught, the Australian Raven scooped it up in mid-air and then flew to a nearby tree to pluck it apart while sitting on a horizontal branch. However, during the Australian Magpies' nesting season, the chase is on the other way round.

This Australian Magpie is not afraid to defend its territory against a fox

Fledgling Australian Magpie face-down flat on the ground, with both wings at full stretch - the significance of this behaviour is not known to us

Additional information

There is a separate page describing how a female is fed by a male bird at the start of the nesting season.

Food

Australian Magpies feed mostly on insects up to the size of locusts. However, we have also seen them take fruit (e.g. mulberries) and pluck birds as large as a Crested Pigeon.

Male Australian Magpie with its prey

Here a female with its catch (which looks like a spider)

A few mulberries are welcome