Page 365 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CROWS
Order Passeriformes Family Corvidae Species Pica pica
Magpie black from head
to back
big white shoulder
patch
white wingtips
with black lines black wings, glossed
green-blue

long blackish tail,
glossed purple black breast
and green
ADULT
white belly
IN FLIGHT

plumage
pattern like
adult’s ADULT
tail shorter
than adult’s
at first JUVENILE
lmost everywhere, the Magpie is a striking, black and white,
Asociable bird that can hardly fail to catch the eye. It also builds
big nests that are very obvious in winter, once the leaves fall: these
are domed fortresses, for protection against other crows. Magpies are
usually seen in pairs but often form small groups and occasionally fill FLIGHT: straight, mostly direct, laboured; fluttering
whole trees with flocks of 20–40 at a time, when gathering to roost. or rowing action, sometimes swooping down or
There is no other similar-looking bird in Europe. swerving.
VOICE Hard, chattering, mechanical rattle, tcha-tcha-
tcha-tcha-tcha or chak-ak-ak-ak-ak; some squeaky, EYE-CATCHING
Long tails and pied plumage make
musical notes. Magpies handsome birds.
NESTING Big, domed nest of sticks with solid mud
inner core, lined with roots and scraps; 5–8 eggs;
1 brood;April–June.
FEEDING Mostly takes insects, grain, and scraps in
a wide range of habitats, from fields to car parks and
roadsides; eats eggs and chicks in summer.

OCCURRENCE
Breeding bird in all of Europe
except for Iceland, and seen all
year. In farmland with hedges,
at edges of woodland, in towns
and parks; increasing recently
in suburbs, often visiting gardens
with hedges and shrubs.
SWOOPING FLIGHT
Magpies look laboured in long-distance flight, but are agile enough in tight Seen in the UK
spaces and quick to dive from a high perch to snatch up a scrap of food. J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 44–46cm (17 1 ⁄2 –18in) Wingspan 52–60cm (20 1 ⁄2 –23 1 ⁄2in) Weight 200–250g (7–9oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan 10–15 years Status Secure
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