Garden > Birds > Magpie

I think magpies are lesbians. Okay, it’s a little out of left field but hear me out. I don’t mean that magpies are actually lesbians, but that through humanity’s eyes their stereotypical reputation makes magpies, to the bird world, akin to what we (as in us lesbians) are often and similarly deemed to be to ours. Not convinced? Let me make my case.

In the Birds PR stakes some things are generally accepted as given: robins are endearing (and Christmassy) and magpies are mean. Let’s face it magpies look mean, everyone knows them, their stereotypical reputation precedes them, they’re a bit flashy, loud-mouthed, arrogant, in-your-face, brassy, aggressive even – Lord knows you wouldn’t want to get too close to one! A magpie walks into the room (i.e. bird feeder) and everyone else leaves it.

And magpies don’t help themselves in the ‘spin’ department. They’re opportunists for one, and they do tend to have a penchant for young vulnerable things on occasion, but definitely not on the scale that everyone accuses them of. No, it just so happens that everyone notices the magpie when she’s on the hunt – she’s a bit more ‘out’ than jays, for example – and she is, after all, rather difficult to miss. She’s loud too – not for her this lilting, melodic twittering of the majority of her neighbours – no, a good lung-filling, screeching, clattering should do the job, which of course, does little to endear her to the majority of her neighbours. And magpies also have a tendency to flock together on occasion, which in itself is a rather scary sight.

Magpies rarely get good myth-busting press either. They’re intelligent for one – we all know it, we just don’t want to admit it. Our local pair are constantly dropping in to dip their dinner into the birdbath, or are often seen tipping precariously from the bird feeder as they peck at the fat balls – clever.

Children are a problem too: up to 60% of magpies don’t breed – there aren’t enough decent nesting sites for them. And for the few that do breed they have difficulties rearing young – the mortality rates for young magpies are very high – it’s not easy growing up as a magpie.

As with most things though, when you get to know a magpie, you’re more likely to accept her character traits than judge her for them. Her actions are merely the actions of magpies plain and simple – that’s what magpies do. They’re not mean, they’re just magpies. And when you get to recognise and know them there’s actually something rather endearing about them too!

See any parallels? Convinced yet? Okay, I admit it, it’s rubbish but whacky theories aside, magpies don’t deserve the wholly nasty tag they are usually given – you don’t have to support them but let’s not slate them as much as we usually do!

We found you some other lesser-known snippets about magpies too:

• The word magpie is a shortened form of Margaret's pie. Other local names include madge, marget, miggy and maggot.
• Magpies originated in North America
• ‘Authorised personnel’ can kill or take magpies in the UK in the interests of: preventing serious damage to agricultural crops or livestock; preservation of public health/air safety or conservation of wild birds.
• The population of magpies has remained relatively stable since 1990
• There are 650,000 magpie breeding territories across the UK
• Although the oldest recorded magpie was 21 years old, the average life expectancy of a magpie is 3 years. (Source: RSPB)
• UK magpies are black billed, but yellow-billed magpies can be found in California
• Magpies are members of the crow family
• Magpies are reasonably high up the food chain in terms of bird populations, so the existence of successful, thriving magpies is often indicative that those lower in the food chain are also thriving.
• Jays and woodpeckers also eat songbird eggs and young.
• Carrion crows eat magpie chicks and eggs!
• Because of their tendency for scavenging, bringing food back to the nest for later consumption, and eclectic tastes magpies are also synonymous with collectors, collections, and often bright, shiny baubles!
• ‘The Magpies’ is a favourite ‘team’ name:
  o Newcastle United FC
  o Dorchester Town FC
  o Ledbury Magpies Netball Club
  o Swale Magpies FC
  o Church Stretton Magpies FC
  o Semington Magpies FC
  o Ipswich RUFC
  o New York Australian FC (!)