Eurasian Magpie Identification
What I look like
The Eurasian Magpie has black and white plumage.
The head, back, and chest are black.
The belly is white.
The wings and tail are black with metallic blue or green reflections.
There are also white shoulder patches.
Its tail is very long...
The Eurasian Magpie measures 40 to 50 cm with its tail making up almost half of its length.
My songs, my calls
The Eurasian Magpie primarily makes harsh and nasal sounds: it's said to chatter!
It is recognized by its grave and mocking chatter "kèkèkèk".
Wary, its numerous calls are used to signal the presence of various predators.
How I behave
The Eurasian Magpie is intelligent and curious.
It is very sociable and recognizes each of its peers.
They live in pairs or groups all year round.
They enjoy playing with each other or with other animals (cats, dogs).
It forages for food on the ground, waddling and hopping.
It is not very skilled at flying. Rather slow and irregular, it never flies very high with its short, rounded wings.
How I reproduce
The breeding season of the Eurasian Magpie extends from March to August.
It lays 1 clutch per year of 4 to 8 pale green eggs speckled with dark brown.
It nests in tall trees.
Its nest is a basket of twigs and branches sealed with mud surrounded by a protective dome of branches.
During the spring courtship, the male offers food to the female.
What I eat
The Eurasian Magpie is omnivorous. It eats insects, slugs, fruits, seeds, waste, carrion...
It sometimes eats eggs it pilfers from the nests of smaller birds (titmice, warblers, flycatchers, goldfinches) by slipping in deftly.
It seems that its predation does not endanger these species. But it earns it a bad reputation!
Sometimes it is found perched on an animal to feed on ticks.
It sometimes comes to the feeder if not disturbed.
Where to find me
Originally, the Eurasian Magpie lived mainly in slightly wooded agricultural areas.
It increasingly inhabits city parks and gardens where there are no pesticides and it is not hunted.
It is seen in tall trees (poplars, birches, pines, cedars) but also in groves.
It is a sedentary species.