Researchers have done experiments, figuring out that magpies not only recognise other individual magpies but even other people's faces! This story, about a magpie named Penguin, shows that these birds not only recognise faces but they have the ability to form strong bonds with humans too.
When magpies have formed an attachment they will often show their trust, for example, by formally introducing their offspring. They may allow their chicks to play near people, not fly away when a resident human is approaching, and actually approach or roost near a human.
Australian Magpies are strongly territorial and defend their territories both from other magpies as well as potential predators. Unfortunately, some individual magpies perceive humans as a potential threat and accordingly, swoop down with a fast warning flight, occasionally making contact.
And throughout the rest of the world magpies are not always seen as so unlucky: China – a singing magpie will bring good fortune and is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Korea – magpies deliver good news and invite good people into your life.
Although they may not be enraged by certain colours, magpies that swoop tend to target specific types of people. For instance, some magpies will only swoop cyclists, while others will target pedestrians. A small percentage will indiscriminately attack anyone.
Interesting fact: It's true, magpies remember your face. They have excellent recall for faces and very long memories. So, if you've been swooped before, or even if you just look like someone they swooped last year, you're likely to get the same treatment again.
Magpies are really quite lovable and it is easy to learn to live with these wonderful birds. A magpie friend is a good friend to have, particularly in the garden where it will eat up all your grubs!
They believe the magpie will never inject any sort of bad luck if the person keeps the bird happy or shows utter respect. People are told that he/she should salute or wave at a magpie to show respect. Some also believe that greeting the bird also helps to fend off bad luck.
Befriending a magpie
If you have magpies around your home or neighbourhood that you would like to befriend, the first step is to let them see your face from a distance, trying to make eye contact with the bird. Gisela says you could also try and temp them with a little magpie-friendly food to show you aren't a threat.
'Young birds and subordinates will bow down and shake their tail feathers when a dominant male or female is near,' Connelly explains.
Magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass “wreaths” beside their bodies, an animal behaviour expert has claimed. Dr Bekoff, of the University of Colorado, said these rituals prove that magpies, usually seen as an aggressive predator, also have a compassionate side.
Magpies can remember faces and hold grudges. Researchers in Brisbane, Australia have found that magpies will remember facial features and target those individuals. The research involved an individual in a mask, coming close enough to nests to make the magpies feel threatened.
The months following fledging are a dangerous time for young magpies, with a high percentage failing to make it through the first year. If the young birds survive to breed, their average life expectancy is around three years. Some live much longer than this, with the oldest recorded being more than 21 years old.
Magpies feed on small insects and animals that live on, or just under, the surface of the ground. A favourite is the scarab beetle, which is a major pest of garden lawns.
The diet of a magpie
Their main diet in summer is grassland invertebrates, such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms and leatherjackets. In winter, they eat more plant material, such as wild fruits, berries and grains, with household scraps and food scavenged from bird tables or chicken runs, pet foods etc.
Magpies love:
Big, old trees which give them somewhere safe to build their nests and sleep at night.
Remember, magpies are simply trying to protect their territory. Stay calm, protect your face and walk away quickly. A magpie may become aggressive towards people because it has been harassed in the past. Please do not throw things at magpies or chase them.
Magpies generally cop a bit of flack this time of the year but one bird in Dunsborough Lakes might be the most generous in the South West. A female magpie recently gave Sandra St Jack a small soft toy, in exchange for items for her nest.
Magpies will often mate for life. However, if a male is killed while the young are in the nest, the female will take a new partner. He'll help protect the young even though he's not genetically related to them.
1. In order to ward off bad luck, greet the sight of a lone Pica pica with the words: 'Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the other little magpies? '
Magpies are about all year round and don't migrate in winter. Popular superstitions. A way of combating the bad tidings is to say, "Good morning, Mr Magpie - how's your lady wife today?" This means you're showing the magpie due respect, hoping that he won't pass bad luck on to you.
One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a story yet to be told. We've all grown up with the magpie rhyme.
The most noticeable physical difference between male and female magpies is the coloration of the white hoods located on their necks and the backs of their heads. On male magpies, the hood is a vibrant white throughout; the hood on female magpies is grayish toward the bottom.
Steer Clear: Foods to Avoid Feeding Magpies
Bread, for example, should be avoided as it lacks essential nutrients and can even cause birth defects in nestlings. Another food to be cautious about is plain mince, which contains high levels of phosphate that can result in calcium loss from magpies' beaks and bones.
About a year and a half ago we rescued a baby magpie that was laying in an alley with dead birds all around. After a few months Pie the magpie became imprinted on us and started talking and mimicking us.