As the magpies say. Magpie is an intelligent bird. Outdoor game "Dog and sparrows"
The magpie is a conspicuous bird that attracts attention with its contrasting plumage.
Photo: magpie in flight. 
What does a magpie look like?
The magpie has black feathers with a metallic, green or blue tint on its back, head and chest. All other parts of the body are covered with snow-white plumage. But every year in the spring and summer, a molt occurs, during which all the colors fade, acquire a grayish tint and practically merge.
Females and males are almost the same in size, males do not exceed 240 g, and females - 100 g. The length of the bird from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail is 50 cm, and the length from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other is on average 1 meter.
Chicks are practically no different in color from adults. Young birds do not have pure white feathers; a metallic blue sheen is present only in the middle third of the wing. A little earlier, young magpies begin molting.
Photo: magpie in flight. 
Photo: magpie on a branch. 
Photo: the gaze of a magpie. Magpie intelligence
Magpies are perhaps the most intellectually developed birds on Earth. They are capable of showing sadness; Magpies have several social rituals. Some magpies are able to imitate the voices of other birds, animals, and insects in pursuit of their goals. For example, magpies imitate the chirping of locusts as a decoy for this insect. Magpies are the only birds that can recognize themselves in the mirror.
Communication
Magpies have a very varied language, consisting mainly of chirping and croaking sounds. The meanings of forty signals very much depend on the circumstances, the tempo of the signal, its length, and volume. Thus, a warning cry is used by hens even in the absence of immediate danger, and by males only when such danger occurs.
Magpie calls have a degree of emotionality; the more excited the bird is, the faster and more intermittently it chirps. Accordingly, the reaction of fellow tribesmen also differs - at a high rate of chirping they fly away, and at a low rate they only stop.
The mating singing of magpies is individual, depending on the time and the particular magpie. These can be arrhythmic gentle trills, pipes, and, sometimes, even imitation of other animals.
In general, magpies have a fairly rich vocabulary. Marking the boundaries of their territory, magpies shout “kya”, “kik” from the treetops, chicks, asking their mother for food, squeak “pirr”, and first-year ones report to the old magpies “yshiyak”. As you can see, crows have their own signal for almost every case.
Habits and reproduction
Magpies are sedentary, paired birds. Pairs form in the first year of life, the first offspring appear in the second year, after building a nest. They always build several nests, from five to ten, but live in only one. In April, the female lays five eggs and incubates them for eighteen days.
You can often see small flocks of five heads chirping into the trees - these are an adult pair and their chicks. Magpies respect their territory and, if necessary, staunchly defend it from other birds and even from some mammals.
Photo: pair of magpies. 
A magpie drags a branch to build a nest. 
Photo: A magpie collects materials for building a nest. 
A magpie chick was jumping along the shore of the lake. And adult magpies flew nearby, guarding him with their screams.
What do magpies eat?
A hungry magpie is a casuistic phenomenon. Like most corvids, the magpie has great range and dexterity when it comes to feeding. She can destroy the nests of other birds, eating eggs and even chicks, steal food from animals and humans, insects and even mammals are used. Magpies are omnivores. Their diet contains both plant and animal foods. Magpies cause some damage to agricultural land by pecking grains from the fields.
The powerful beak of the magpie is its faithful assistant in the search for food. She uses it to split shells and bones, tear off pieces of flesh from large prey, and dig out larvae from the ground.
Magpies also bring benefits by destroying pests (weevils, bedbugs, locusts).
Photo: A magpie killed another bird's chick. 
In autumn, magpies love to climb tree trunks in search of insects hidden in the cracks of the bark. Magpies and birds of prey
Magpies, like crows, saw bird of prey, such as a buzzard or an eagle, they try to drive it away.
A buzzard looks at a magpie. 
A buzzard looks at a magpie. 
Magpies chasing a buzzard, Zolotoy Rog Bay, Vladivostok. 
A Steller's sea eagle "swears" at a magpie pestering him. 
Not every eagle can withstand the attacks of a nimble and impudent magpie. Magpie, or European magpie, or common magpie, (lat. Pica pica) is a bird of the corvid family of the genus magpie. Magpies inhabit all of Europe from the North Cape in Scandinavia to the southern tips of Spain and Greece. It is absent only on a few islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Also inhabits parts of the coastal regions of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in northern Africa. The magpie is a resident bird, but also a migratory bird in Scandinavia.
On the ground, the magpie most often moves by jumping, but can also walk with a gait characteristic of corvids. She moves very skillfully in the crown of trees. The flight of the magpie is wave-like and gliding.
Magpie often gives voice, making characteristic loud chirping sounds - talking to each other or noticing danger. Most often, the magpie makes a chirping noise from more or less quickly successive calling rows with a somewhat croaking “shek shek shek.” "Shack" is a warning cry and sound signal alarms and serves to protect the district. Non-brooding magpies use it only if danger threatens. The excitement of birds is especially great if the chirping is fast and choppy. When the chirping is slow, the magpies stop, but when the chirping is fast, they fly away.
For attracting a partner Magpies use quiet singing, which varies greatly depending on the time and individual. It can be both rhythmic and arrhythmic, often combining soft trill sounds and high pipes. Some birds imitate other animals.
Common magpies are sedentary birds. They live in small forests, parks, gardens, groves, copses, often not far from human habitation. Avoid dense forest.
Magpie paired birds. A partner is chosen in the first year of life, the first mating occurs in the second year of life, and the following spring the couple begins to build a nest and try to have offspring. They can often be seen in a flock of two to five birds, flying from tree to tree with loud chirping sounds. Most often this is an adult couple with their fledgling chicks.
Couples bravely defend their territory from the other forty.
The restless chatter of a magpie that has discovered a hunter in the forest will be perceived not only by other birds, but also by a wolf, a bear and other animals.
Magpies feeding a wide variety of foods. Its diet includes both small mammals and insects. Magpies also often ruin bird's nests, carrying eggs and chicks. And sometimes they even steal bones from dogs.
Magpies living next to a person are not afraid to steal some food from him. Magpie - omnivorous bird. It feeds on both animal and plant food. The magpie searches for food on the ground: insects, slugs, spiders and woodlice. Sometimes she manages to catch a small mammal or lizard.
Magpie counts one of the most intelligent birds. Magpies were found to have elaborate social rituals, including the expression of sadness.
The magpie is the only known non-mammal capable of recognizing itself in a mirror, unlike, for example, a parrot, which perceives its own reflection as another parrot. Magpies can also draw.
Spreading
Magpie chirping
Magpies often vocalize, making characteristic loud chirping sounds - talking to each other or noticing danger. Most often, the magpie makes a chirping “Schackern” or “Schäckern” (listen) from more or less quickly successive calling rows with a somewhat croaking “shek shek shek.” Schäckern is a warning cry and alarm sound and serves to protect the district. Non-brooding magpies use it only if danger threatens. The excitement of birds is especially great if the chirping is fast and choppy. When the chirping is slow, the magpies stop, but when the chirping is fast, they fly away.
To attract a partner, magpies use quiet singing, which varies greatly depending on the time and individual. It can be both rhythmic and arrhythmic, often combining soft trill sounds and high pipes. Some birds imitate other animals. However, most singing consists of a seething, guttural chatter. To mark their territory, magpies make calls like “kia”, “kyaya” or “kick”, while being high in the crown of a tree near the trunk. The birds on the nest ask with a high, rattling “pirr.” Three- to four-week-old young birds are marked by a two-syllable call to older birds, sounding “yshiyak”, “chyuk” or “chyuk-yuk”, which is similar to the call of a female.
Often the magpie also makes long calls of "chakra", "chir", "chirrl" or "chara". Depending on the intonation (soft, hard, long, short), this call has different meanings. The magpie's nasal and drawn-out calls can sound like "sin."
Nutrition
Like most corvids, magpies eat a wide variety of foods. Its diet includes both small mammals and insects. Magpies also often destroy bird nests, carrying eggs and chicks. And sometimes they even steal bones from dogs. Magpies living next to a person are not afraid to steal some food from him. The magpie is an omnivorous bird. It feeds on both animal and plant food. The magpie searches for food on the ground: insects, slugs, spiders and woodlice. Sometimes she manages to catch a small mammal or lizard. Farmers do not like magpies because they peck grains and seeds in the fields.
In the spring, magpies explore the bushes of young groves in search of nests of other birds, the eggs and chicks of which are their favorite food. They also do not disdain small rodents. to his powerful beak Magpies dig up insect larvae from the ground and break the shells of bird eggs.
If the prey is too large, then the magpie holds it with one paw and tears off pieces with its beak. An important place in its food diet is occupied by insects, including such harmful ones as weevils, turtle bugs, locusts, and butterfly caterpillars. Magpies, thanks to their dexterity, always find food.
Reproduction
Magpies build several nests, of which they occupy only one. The magpie's nest is spherical, built from dry twigs and twigs, with a side entrance. The female lays 5-8 eggs in April, after which she incubates them for 17-18 days.
Magpie in culture
In German mythology, the magpie was both a messenger of the gods and a bird of the goddess of death Gela, for which it was considered a harbinger of trouble in Europe. The “thief” magpie was unpopular in the Middle Ages also because it was considered the pet of witches. In contrast, in Asia the magpie is traditionally a giver of happiness, and among North American Indians it is a spiritual being who is friendly with people.
Notes
Links
Categories:
- Animals in alphabetical order
- Species out of danger
- Corvids
- Birds North America
- Animals described in 1758
- Birds of Europe
- Birds of Asia
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birds. Many books are decorated with pictures of magpies, because they are so bright and memorable.
They say about the magpie that it is very smart, agile, cunning and dexterous. It is believed that these birds even have a special language, thanks to which they are able to communicate important information about danger to each other.
Magpies belong to the group of birds of the corvid family. It includes representatives of 9 genera. All types of magpies external signs similar, despite the fact that their genera are not always closely related to each other. Due to their external similarity, they are united under one common name.
There are a total of approximately 30 species of these birds. The closest corvids to magpies are crows and jays.
There is practically no external difference between females and males of these birds, although the latter are slightly larger. The weight of the latter is just over 230 grams, and females weigh approximately 200 grams. Visually, such a small difference is difficult to determine. The average body length of a magpie reaches 50 centimeters, and its wingspan is about 90 centimeters.
The magpie is unique in its color. All its plumage has a black and white color scheme. Her neck, head, back and chest are black with a metallic sheen and tint. Under the rays of the sun, greenish and purple shades are noticeable on the black plumage. The shoulders and belly are white (hence the name white-sided magpie), and sometimes the tips of the wings are white.
The bird's long tail is painted black. In spring, the color of the bird's feathers becomes faded and not so impressive. This is due to molting.
And young magpies have almost the same color as adults.
Distribution, habitats
Where does the magpie live in its natural habitat? The distribution area of this bird is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is found on all its continents - Africa, Eurasia and North America. The distribution areas of the common magpie are especially extensive, covering the entire temperate climate zone of Eurasia (with the exception of the Far East).
Other species have narrower ranges. For example, the California magpie is found only on the California Peninsula, and only the thick-billed azure magpie lives in Taiwan. The habitat of the blue magpie is a real mystery. They cover two areas: one - Far East(China, Korea, Japan, northern Mongolia, Primorye), the second is the extreme west of Europe (Portugal and Spain). To date, science has not provided any explanation for how birds of the same species became so isolated from each other.
All species have similar habitats, as well as what magpies eat. They prefer to settle in the forests of the most different types- broad-leaved, coniferous and tropical jungles. They live in city parks, in dense thickets, and in open forests, and in forest plantations. While searching for food, they visit fairly open spaces: clearings, wastelands, shores of lakes and rivers, meadows and fields.
There are species that last most seasons alone and form married couples and groups only after hatching the eggs. There are also those that live in small flocks, and during the nesting period they break up into separate pairs.
Habits and behavioral characteristics
Magpie is a bird whose gait is unique and special. On the ground it moves mainly in leaps and along the branches of trees it also moves in leaps, and it does this very quickly and deftly. In flight, the bird glides in waves.
Her voice is not melodious, but you can hear her quite often. They chirp in a rather specific way, and it is impossible to confuse this voice with the sounds of other birds. Magpie chirping often serves as a signal for other birds, for example, abrupt and rapid sounds appear when danger arises. Birds fly away at such sounds.
It has also been noted that with the sounds “kick” or “kia” the magpie indicates that this is its territory. The voice of the magpie bird says a lot not only to the birds, but also to all the inhabitants of the forest. For example, they can notify of the approach of a hunter.
Lifestyle
In summer you can rarely see a magpie in a city park, but in winter they often look into the feeders of other birds. Magpies in nature lead a sedentary lifestyle; they never fly away from their home for long. Where they are a large number of, they can form flocks in which they roam together. More often this phenomenon can be observed in the fall.
With the onset of cold weather, towards winter, when a lot of snow falls, magpies, together with jackdaws and crows, scatter to small and larger settlements, where it is easiest for them to find food. Magpies are wintering birds.
You can find out more about what the magpie eats later in the article. But here it should be noted that these birds are not always treated kindly by local village residents, since they always steal something edible. For them, even evil dogs are not a hindrance, which they cleverly deceive and distract, and then eat well. With all this, it should be noted that magpies are wild birds, and it is impossible to tame them.
These birds always try to stay close to each other, which helps them in times of need to defend themselves and fight for territory.
The magpie is a picky bird, as its food is very varied. She uses almost everything she can get, even a bone that she steals from a dog. Magpies destroy the nests of many birds, in which they eat eggs or small, newly hatched chicks.
Speaking about what the magpie eats, it should be noted that it often brings problems to other birds, especially in the spring. They often jump around the bushes in search of nests, in which they find food. Other birds suffer from this.
Small rodents can sometimes be prey, which magpies deal with with their strong and powerful beak. These birds are content with very small food, for example, caterpillars, insects and beetles. They feed on a variety of plant foods - grains, nuts, fruits of trees and shrubs, as well as seeds of a wide variety of plants.
What does a magpie eat in winter? IN cold period these seasons smart birds accompany large predators, looking for carrion, picking up garbage, and fearlessly visiting their feeders. Moreover, they show such courage, which sometimes turns into arrogance and insolence. You can often see how agile magpies scurry around right under the noses of a bear, fox or eagle. In winter they make regular movements, gathering on the outskirts and territories settlements, and search garbage dumps with food waste. In the evening they return to their permanent overnight stay.
A little about enemies
Magpies have many natural enemies. They are hunted by eagles, falcons, bald eagles, hawks, eagle owls, large owls and wild cats. Their nests, as noted above, are destroyed by martens, and in tropical countries by snakes.
With all this, magpies live well and thrive largely due to their intelligence and dexterity.
Conclusion
In the cultures of peoples different countries Magpies occupied and occupy different positions. The Indians of North America associated them with the spirits of the forest; among the inhabitants of East Asia, they were messengers of happiness and were held in high esteem.
Only in Europe, magpies' relationships with people did not work out very well. Farmers did not like these birds due to the fact that they picked up scattered grains during the sowing period. And for hunters they have always seemed evil - a chirping magpie notifies the entire forest of danger. Therefore, hunters often killed them. Scientists have also classified these birds as harmful because they destroy the nests of many songbirds.
In fact, there are benefits from them - magpies eat harmful insects.
In chapter Parenting to the question Help! In the garden they asked a question - how does a magpie talk? given by the author Young woman the best answer is Magpies often vocalize, making characteristic loud chirping sounds - talking to each other or noticing danger. The excitement of birds is especially great if the shoot is fast and severed. When the chirping is slow, the magpies stop, but when the chirping is fast, they fly away.
To attract a partner, magpies use quiet singing, which varies in time and is very strong individually. It can be both rhythmic and arrhythmic. It often combines soft trill sounds and high-pitched pipes. Some birds imitate other animals. However, most singing consists of a seething, guttural chatter. To indicate their territory, magpies make calls “kia”, “kyaya” or “kick”. Moreover, they are located high in the crown of the tree near the trunk. The birds on the nest beg with a high, shrill “tweet.” Three- to four-week-old young birds are marked by a two-syllable call to older birds, sounding “yshiyak”, “chyuk” or “chyuk-yuk”. The female's call is similar to this.
Often the magpie also makes long calls “chakra”, “chir”, “chirrl” or “chara”. Depending on the intonation (soft, hard, long, short), this call has different meanings. The magpie's nasal and drawn-out calls can sound like "sin."
