No, magpies don't get "pregnant" in the mammalian sense; female magpies lay eggs, and the eggs develop outside the body, with the female incubating them until they hatch, a process similar to other birds, involving mating, nest building, egg-laying, and chick-rearing, often with help from the male and other "helpers".
Fast facts – Australian magpie
Life cycle – Magpies usually mate for life, nest high in trees (often gum trees) and lay 4–6 eggs that hatch after about 20 days. Chicks stay in the nest for about 6 weeks and remain with their parents for 3–4 months while learning to feed themselves.
Baby magpies leave the nest before their tail feathers have grown. They live on the ground and are fed and protected (often by swooping) by the parents during the day and are hidden in undergrowth overnight. Members of the public sometimes confuse this act of nature with magpie babies being deserted or in distress.
The breeding season typically starts in March or April, with magpies laying clutches of 5-8 eggs. The incubation period lasts approximately three weeks, with the female and male taking turns to keep the eggs warm.
Australian Magpie females lay three to five blue or green, brown-blotched eggs. Incubation time: 20 days. The chicks are fed by their mother and have feathers and are ready to fly in about four weeks. Within 2 years, the young magpies are forced by their parents to leave the territory.
Their lifespan is unknown, but some have lived up to 30 years. Where do they live? Magpies adapt well to open, cleared environments and thrive in locations that have a combination of large tracts of lawn for foraging, scattered trees for nesting and protection, and water.
The rhyme encapsulates the dual nature of magpie superstitions: while a single bird may bring sorrow, more magpies suggest prosperity or happiness. These beliefs likely endure because they offer a way to interpret and find meaning in chance encounters, even if modern science tells us there's no basis for such fears.
On the male the neck patch is all-over white, while the female's neck patch looks grey-white towards the bottom of the patch. Juveniles pay close attention to their parents to learn to survive. It is fascinating to watch the antics of juvenile magpies exploring their world while being tutored by their patient parent.
Interesting fact: Magpies can remember many different individual human faces! They also have 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 forage on the ground, turning over loose material, as they search for a range of insects, worms, spiders, lizards, mice and seeds. A favourite food is the scarab beetle which does so much damage to lawns. Magpies live in territorial groups.
Magpies love:
Open woodlands with tall trees but no understory. Big, old trees which give them somewhere safe to build their nests and sleep at night.
A couple of reasons. As birds become sick or reach the end of their lives, they become easier prey and are in fact searched out by their enemies who have a much easier time catching them. They are of course consumed right away, and this is one reason.
Australian Magpies are intelligent, social birds that form long-lasting pair bonds and keep the same territory year after year. They raise their young together, often with the help of older juveniles from previous seasons.
Birds sleep in many different places, depending on the species, as well as the time of year.
A group of magpies is most commonly called a mischief, a tiding, or a charm, but other fun names include a conventicle, congregation, or even a tribe. These diverse terms reflect the birds' often busy and social nature, with "mischief" possibly alluding to their clever, sometimes thieving behavior.
On the other hand, urban breeding Magpies reuse their old nests significantly more often than their rural counterparts (Tatner 1982a). Increased nest reuse occurrence is pointed as one of the main changes in the ecology of this species evolved in the condi- tions of urban environment (Tatner 1982b).
And since magpies can live between 25 and 30 years and are territorial, they can develop lifelong friendships with humans. This bond can extend to trusting certain people around their offspring.
The 5-7-9 rule for bird feeders is a squirrel-proofing strategy that uses distance to prevent access: place feeders at least 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from structures like walls or trees, and 9 feet below any overhead branches, exploiting squirrels' jumping limits to keep seeds for birds. This setup stops squirrels from leaping from the ground (5ft limit), walls (7ft horizontal jump), or dropping from above (9ft drop limit).
Even within the range of wavelengths that are visible to humans, passerine birds can detect colour differences that humans do not register. This finer discrimination, together with the ability to see ultraviolet light, means that many species show sexual dichromatism that is visible to birds but not humans.
While some cultures view a magpie as a bad omen, others see them as a sign of good luck and heralding good fortune. As with most superstitions, there is a little bit of truth hidden in these stories, but these are more related to the “fear of the unknown” than the birds themselves.
😉 Juvenile magpies (less than 1 year old) have an all black beak. Immature magpies (1-2 years old) have a black beak, that is going silver in patches. Adult magpies (2+ years) have silver beaks, with a black tip. Now you know how to tell the (approximate) age of these beautiful birds!
Many Australians report magpies singing while perched nearby or following them. This behaviour isn't random; it's a sign of recognition and possibly even affection.
A greeting might be something like "Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the other little magpies?", and a 19th century version recorded in Shropshire is to say "Devil, Devil, I defy thee! Magpie, magpie, I go by thee!" and to spit on the ground three times.
Magpies don't like reflecting light. So hanging CDs or plastic bottles half-full of water can be an effective way to keep them away. (And useful recycling for CDs you no longer need.) Alternatively, try these bird repellant balloons in yellow, black and white.
Numerous people assume that if a magpie is outside their window, they should reconsider their path, and some changes could be coming. The magpie might be a message of new beginnings, change, or simply to remind you that you have an intention.