Australian Magpie Illustration

Image: Australian Magpie Illustration

Description

Australian Magpies are black and white birds that live in areas with trees, including towns and cities and bushland all over Australia. They have red-brown eyes and feet with one toe facing backwards and three toes facing forwards.

Illustrator:: Andrew Howells
Rights:: © Australian Museum
Common name:: Australian Magpie
Scientific name:: Gymnorhina tibicen

Additional information

Australian Magpies walk along the ground and search for insects like grasshoppers during the day. They jab their strong, straight, triangular white beak into the ground, looking for worms and grubs to eat. They swallow small insects whole but use their beak to break up larger food items before eating them.

Australian Magpies have a beautiful carolling call and they often call together.

Australian Magpies make cup-shaped nests high up in trees or on telegraph poles from sticks and plant stems. They line their nest with wool, hair and grass. Females lay three to five blue or green, brown-blotched eggs. They sit on the eggs (incubate) for 20 days. When the eggs hatch the chicks are helpless and without feathers. The chicks are fed by their mother and have feathers and are ready to fly in about four weeks.

Australian Magpies live in family groups of three to twenty birds.

Last Updated: 24 July 2009

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