Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Also known as: Australasian Magpie, Black-Necked Magpie, Maggie, Magpie
About This Species
Look for this black-and-white songbird on lawns, parks, farmland and open woodland edges across Australia, where it forages on the ground for insects and larvae with a distinctive upright, striding walk. Its rich, warbling, almost musical song, sometimes performed by multiple birds in a loose duet, is one of the most recognisable sounds of Australian gardens and open country. It is present year-round, with breeding activity concentrated in the austral spring when territorial behaviour is most pronounced.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A distance of several metres is usually enough outside the breeding season, but extra caution is warranted in spring, since some individuals defend nest territories aggressively and may swoop at people who approach too closely.
- Wildlife protection laws in Australia vary by state and territory, but native birds and their nests are generally protected from deliberate harm or destruction under state legislation.
- If a bird begins swooping or calling in alarm, moving away calmly rather than lingering or running reduces stress on the bird and risk to the person.
Seasonal Activity
2,560,091 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cracticidae
Photo
(c) Saryu Mae 前 朝琉, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Saryu Mae 前 朝琉
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.