THE MAGPIE A MAGNIFICENT BIRD

Game keepers in particular and people in general tend to show a dislike for this large corvine because of its natural tendency to eat the eggs of other much more favoured bird species. Yet comprehensive studies have failed utterly to provide direct evidence to suggest the decline in the population of any other species has been unduly affected by the increase in the number of magpies. This handsome bird {for if it were a rare species it would surely be admired } has a characteristic chattering call. It is a familiar sound not only to country folk but the wider populace in general for the bird is now just as likely to be seen in an urban setting as a rural one.

It is immediately recognisable because of its prominent, apparent black and white plumage {pied} that makes up the second syllable of its common name. Incidentally the first syllable Mag derives from maggie and old English word meaning a chatter box. The bird is known as maggie in many country districts. The bird has a characteristic confident gait as it walks this handsome bird positively struts which is often accompanied by sideways hops and jumps.

The plumage consists of a white belly and wing panels which contrast greatly with the rest of its apparent black plumage. I say apparent for closer observation will reveal a variation of iridescent colouring. The head which has a flat crown with a purple sheen while the short rounded wings display a brilliant blue green iridescence. The tail is wedge shaped when in flight is relatively long and of a brilliant bronze green colouring banded with a purple near the tip. The chest is deep the body relatively stocky and short, while the long strong legs are of a dark colour.

So why has the magpie become a regular and familiar member of the urban feathered fraternity?. It is thought that changes in farming practices, loss of habitat, changes in land use and persecution in the form of traps and the game keepers gun has made this wily corvine take to the relative safety of villages and towns.

Town people observing this large bird eating the eggs and fledglings of their favourite song birds such as the blue tit, black bird , song thrush and robin are quite naturally shocked, yet the magpie cause much less damage to the populations as a whole than the domestic cat, which accounts for many more losses. Squirrels, hedgehogs, rats, stoats, wood peckers and other corvines such as the jay all eat the eggs or/and young of other species.

The magpie in a garden setting may well be perceived as a bully intent on ravaging the nests of our much love songsters, this is a territorial characteristic. the magpie is an intelligent creature. I have witnessed with my own eyes a pair of magpies working a hedgerow in search of the nests of other species which are occupied by eggs or fledglings. the female will perch high on the top most twigs of the hedgerow while its mate flushes out small inexperience fledglings not yet capable of flight. She then would fly down and take them at her leisure . It can be a disturbing sight it is true, yet other nests of the species will remain undetected and will be successful and enough young will survive to restore the balance of nature. This hunting of other bird species will often coincide with the magpie's own breeding season when they will have hungary mouths to feed from their demanding nestlings.

The increase in magpie numbers may well coincide with the decline in the number of game keepers employed since the second world war. Many were called into active service and have never been replaced. Magpies and song birds have co-existed for many thousands of years and other factors {hugely man made} need to be looked at to reveal why other species of birds are in decline.

Magpies are scavengers like many of their cousins such as the carrion crow and are often seen picking at the carcasses of road kills. {incidentally because of the increase in traffic and the speed they travel at in these modern times many more creatures are run over which make a good supply of food for birds such as the magpie especially in winter.} This again is not pleasant to observe but if it were not for scavengers like the magpie and others of its ilk the countryside would abound with dead animals.

Magpies are gregarious birds by nature which is particularly evident in early spring when gatherings may be encountered. These social assemblies are a chance for single birds to find a partner. Observation of these gatherings will convey to the observer that the birds spend a lot of time preening themselves while at the same time displaying to other birds their fine colourful breeding plumage. Pairs are usually two years old before breeding commences.

Once a pair has bonded and chosen a nest site other magpies are driven away from the territory. Nest building is along affair which may last for up to two months. The nests are bulky structures comprising of twigs and sticks that are intricately, although loosely, woven together. these large structures are clearly visible at first, for they built when the trees are still lacking their foliage. When the leaves adorn the trees later in the season the nest becomes much more difficult to locate. These nests survive for many years defying winters cruel weather. However, most birds choose to construct a new nest each season. This gives the opportunity for other birds and small mammals to tenant the vacant nests during these hard times, for shelter and security.

The bulky nest is domed with twigs and comfortably lined with fine grasses. A tall tree is usually chosen but the birds will readily build in thorny shrubs such as hawthorn. egg laying usually occurs in late March or early April, but studies have shown that recently the birds are laying much earlier especially in the more southern counties of England. {is this due to the effects of global warming or the notorious false starts that spring often bestows on us?}

Only one clutch is laid unless circumstances render a second clutch is required. The eggs themselves have a greenish cast the light colour being speckled over with a brown colour. They are much smaller than one would expect of such a large bird being not much larger than the blackbirds egg. {34x24mm-3.2cm x 2.2cm} weighing about 9grams. However, they are relatively numerous 6-8 eggs are laid. Magpies themselves are not immune from predators and have to defend their nests from local marauding crows. When the first egg is laid incubation begins and lasts for around 3 weeks. This task is, in the main, carried out by the female. Hatching is staggered, and, if times are hard only the strongest, older chicks will survive.

The chicks are born naked, helpless and dependant on their parents a term for this is altricial from the Latin alticialis from altrix meaning to nurse from alere meaning to nourish. From hatching to leaving the nest takes around 26-31 days. Once the young birds become independent they are instanly recognisable they have the same apparent black and white plumage but lack the long tail, giving them a stumpy appearance. The tail lengthens as the birds mature.

The diet of these omnivorous birds includes vertebrates particuarly beetles,fruit, seeds, carrion, scraps,small vertebrates, infact if it is edible the birds will eat almost anything.

Magpies are well known for stealing shiny objects, as are their cousins the Jackdaw.

When magpies were much less common this country rhyme was popular

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.

There were many variations on rhymes that involved the sightings of magpies. Another variation is---

One for anger-Two for mirth

Three for a wedding-Four for a birth

Five for rich-Six for poor

Seven for a witch I can tell you no more.

Other variations stretched to the sighting of ten birds, with accompanying rhymes for each of their number.

Pica the Latin name alludes to the magpie but is also used for any pied bird. The Latin name was given to the bird in 1758

The longest living magpie on record died at the age of 21 years and 8 months.

the typical life span is 5 years.

Local names for the bird is meg, maggie, and chatterpie. They are also known as the black billed magpie.

The Gaelic word for magpie is Pioghad

The Spanish name for the magpie-Urraca

Irish name for the Magpie-Snag breac

The French name for the magpie-Pie bavarde.

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