Magpie
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ID#11
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Classification: Bird
Endangered Status: No risk Habitat: Open areas with trees and forests nearby If you are walking along in the Outback and you see a fairly robust bird fly by, about 17 inches long, with beautiful black and white plumage, then you have probably just seen an Australian Magpie. This bird has deep gold brown eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. Males and females are similar in appearance, and can be distinguished by differences in their black markings in feathers. The birds also have long legs, have a wingspan of 26-33 inches long, and weigh 8-12 ounces. The Australian Magpie likes to live alone with its mate. They are also diurnal, but often will call out into the night. This bird is omnivorous, and is usually not very picky. They like to eat invertebrates such as: millipedes, earthworms, scorpions, spiders and snails. Also they’ll also eat a variety of insects- ants, cockroaches, caterpillars, beetles and moths. Frogs, skinks, mice and other small animas as well as grain, tubers, walnuts and figs are part of their diet. They have even learned to safely eat the poisonous Cane Toad by flipping it over and eating the “underpants.” The bird is a ground feeder, pacing open areas and using its beak to dig into the earth to get insects. The Australian Magpie usually breeds between late August and early October. During this time the males become highly aggressive, and sometimes dive bomb people who get to close to the nest. The nest is bowl-shaped, and made of sticks and lined with softer materials such as bark and grass. Nests are built by females and generally placed high up in a tree fork, often in an exposed position. The trees are usually eucalypts, although there are others such as pine and elm. They have one long breeding season, and breed once a year. They have about two to five chicks each time they breed. Once the female lays her eggs, in 20 days they hatch. One interesting fact about the Australian Magpie is that it dive bombs bikers. During the mating season, if a biker gets too close to the nest then the males will dive down and start attacking their head and face. Sometimes they (the Magpies) try to literally peck the bikers’ eyes out. So it is not uncommon for a biker to wear spikes on their helmet to protect themselves. |