The Australian Magpie is black and white, but the plumage pattern varies across its range. Its nape, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, grey in females. Across most of Australia, the remainder of the body is black. In the south-east, centre, extreme south-west and Tasmania, the back and rump are entirely white. The eye of adult birds is chestnut brown. The Pied Butcherbird, Cracticus nigrogularis, can be distinguished from the Australian Magpie by its black head and bib separated from the black back by a complete white collar, and white underparts. It is also a smaller species. The Australian Magpie is larger and has a heavier bill than the similarly coloured Magpie-lark, Grallina cyanoleuca.
Not Threatened
The Australian Magpie is black and white, but the plumage pattern varies across its range. Its nape, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, grey in females. Across most of Australia, the remainder of the body is black. In the south-east, centre, extreme south-west and Tasmania, the back and rump are entirely white. The eye of adult birds is chestnut brown. The Pied Butcherbird, Cracticus nigrogularis, can be distinguished from the Australian Magpie by its black head and bib separated from the black back by a complete white collar, and white underparts. It is also a smaller species. The Australian Magpie is larger and has a heavier bill than the similarly coloured Magpie-lark, Grallina cyanoleuca.
36-47 cm, 317 g
Taxonomy: C [oracias] tibicen Latham, 1801, New South Wales, Australia. Often placed in a monotypic genus, Gymnorhina, partly on basis of adaptations for terrestrial foraging; inclusion in present genus supported by molecular studies. Races fall into three groups, the "black-backed group" (longirostris, terraereginae, eylandtensis and nominate) of NW, N & E Australia, the "white-backed group" (tyrannicus, telonocua and hypoleucus) of SE Australia and Tasmania, and the "western or varied group" (dorsalis) of SW Australia, the last possibly including papuanus of New Guinea; groups were formerly treated as representing three distinct species, but little congruence found between morphological variation and genetic variation. Races intergrade extensively: eylandtensis intergrades with terraereginae in C & S Northern Territory and NW Queensland, and latter race intergrades with all others (tibicen, tyrannicus, telonocua) where ranges meet; in SC Australia confusing intergradation involving telonocua, terraereginae, tyrannicus and eylandtensis; and dorsalis intergrades with longirostris over broad region of S Western Australia from Shark Bay E to SW edge of Great Victoria Desert. Proposed race finki (described from Horseshoe Bend, on Finke R, in Northern Territory) refers to an intergrading population between eylandtensis and presumably terraereginae; leuconotus (from South Australia) likewise relates to an intergrade. With so much complex intergradation and often only differences in size between races, recognition of so many races perhaps inappropriate; further study of differences between populations, including molecular-genetic analyses, is required. Nine subspecies provisionally recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * papuanus ( Bangs & J. L. Peters, 1926) - S New Guinea (S Trans-Fly region from Princess Marianne Strait E to Oriomo R). * eylandtensis ( H. L. White, 1922) - N Western Australia (Kimberley region) E through Northern Territory (including Groote Eylandt) to NW Queensland. * longirostris ( Milligan, 1903) - Western Australia from Dampier Land S at least to Pilbara region (inland extent uncertain). * dorsalis ( A. J. Campbell, 1895) - SW Western Australia (E almost to Eucla, S of Great Victoria Desert). * telonocua ( Schodde & Mason, 1999) - S Northern Territory and South Australia. * terraereginae Mathews, 1912 - most of Queensland (except Gulf region and extreme SE) and New South Wales W of Great Dividing Range (including most of Murray-Darling basin) S to E South Australia (S, E of L Eyre, to Murray R) and N Victoria. * tibicen ( Latham, 1801) - coastal SE Australia. * tyrannicus ( Schodde & Mason, 1999) - N & E Victoria (mostly E of Great Dividing Range). * hypoleucus Gould, 1837 - E half of Tasmania.
They are found wherever there is a combination of trees and adjacent open areas, including parks and playing fields. They are absent only from the densest forests and arid deserts.
Walks along the ground searching for insects and their larvae. Birds will also take handouts from humans and will often venture into open houses to beg for food.
Although the Australian Magpie is generally quite tame, during the breeding season some individuals become aggressive towards any intruders, including humans, which venture too close to their nest sites. The nest is a platform of sticks and twigs (occasionally wire), with a small interior bowl lined with grass and hair. The nest is constructed in the outer branches of a tree, up to 15 m above the ground.