Origin of the species and description
Photo: Soroka
The magpie, also known as the common magpie or, as it is sometimes called the European magpie, is a fairly well-known bird from the corvid family of the passerine order. With its name, it also gave the name to the genus of magpies, which also includes some exotic species that are similar to ordinary magpies in body structure, but differ from them in bright and variegated colors. The Latin name of the species is Pica pica. The closest relatives of these birds are crows and jays.
The time of origin of magpies and their separation from other corvids is not known for certain. The earliest fossil records of corvid-like birds date back to the Middle Miocene and are about 17 million years old. They were discovered on the territory of modern France and Germany. From this we can assume that the division of the family into species occurred much later.
Video: Magpie
Now ornithologists proceed from the assumption that magpies as a species appeared in Europe, and gradually spread across Eurasia, and then in the late Pleistocene they entered the territory of modern North America through the Bering Strait. However, fossils were found in Texas that were more reminiscent of the modern European magpie than the Californian subspecies, so there was a version that the common magpie could have appeared as a species already in the Pliocene, that is, about 2-5 million years ago, but in any case not earlier this time.
Today, at least 10 subspecies of magpie are known. Distinctive features of common magpies are their long tail and black and white coloration.
The story "The Chatty Magpie"
“The Chatty Magpie” is a fairy tale about a magpie that, while in flight, sees everything that is happening on earth and notifies all forest inhabitants about it with its chirping. From this story, children will learn about the habits of birds and animals, learn to love the world around them, and observe its inhabitants. Nothing can escape a magpie. If he sees a bird's nest, he will peck at the eggs in the clutch. If an animal needs to hide, the magpie will alert all hunters where it is hiding. Therefore, birds and animals had to come up with a whole science for their young how to behave if magpie is close. To find out about this, guys, read this educational tale.
What does a magpie eat?
Magpies have no special dietary preferences. They are omnivorous birds. Magpies feed on both small mammals and insects.
Speaking about what magpies eat, it is worth noting that they have a tendency to eat other people's eggs and chicks. It also happens that a magpie steals bones from cats and dogs.
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Often such birds encircle vegetable gardens and fields, which greatly spoils the harvest. They also eat small rodents.
Using their own powerful beak, magpies tear their prey into small pieces. At the same time, they hold the carcass itself with one paw. The beak also helps them easily break through the eggs.
About the birds of Russia for primary schoolchildren. Magpie
The magpie is somewhat smaller in size than the crow. Its head, wings and tail are black, with a greenish tint, and its belly is white. The tail is long, stepped, and serves as a magpie's rudder and balance during sudden movements on the ground and in flight.
Magpies prefer forest edges, bushes in floodplains, groves, gardens, parks, and tree plantations along railroad tracks. They willingly settle in the neighborhood of humans, and where they are left undisturbed, they become unusually trusting and even intrusive.
At the end of February, before breeding, magpies behave noisily, chase each other, spread their tails like a fan, and dance. However, magpies do not fly very well, preferring to jump from place to place.
In March, magpies begin to build new nests or repair old ones. The nest of this bird is usually located in dense thickets at a height of 2-3 m from the ground. It is well hidden from prying eyes, made of large twigs on the outside and thinner twigs on the inside, intertwined with blades of grass and held together with clay. The tray is also cemented with clay and is a hard, deep bowl-bed for eggs, covered with moss, soft grass, and wool. The top and sides of the tray are covered with a layer of thorny twigs, which form a roof, giving the nest a spherical shape. The entrance to the nest is located on the side. This arrangement of the house protects the female sitting on the eggs, and subsequently the chicks, from the invasion of predators. Through the loose walls of the nest, the female can notice the danger in time. A false nest is built close to the real one, in which the male is located when the female sits on the eggs.
Magpies lay 7-8 green eggs dotted with brown spots. The parents carefully feed the chicks with insects, snails and worms. The attachment of parents to their cubs is extremely strong.
In autumn and especially in winter, magpies can often be found on the outskirts of cities and towns. They move gracefully along the ground in small steps, raising their tails and wagging their heads with each step. There are many figurative expressions about magpies that reflect one or another of its features. For example, the definition of “white-sided magpie” does not require explanation, but the epithet “thief” is associated with the fact that the magpie is partial to unfamiliar, especially shiny objects. There are known cases when magpies grabbed metal spoons, keys and other things and flew away with them to then hide them somewhere in a secluded place. It is also clear why they say “talkative like a magpie” or “jumps like a magpie.”
Magpies are unique providers of living space for other birds. Owls and small falcons (for example, falcon, kestrel) settle in empty nests of magpies, exterminating mouse-like rodents, as well as great tits and tree sparrows. By doing this, magpies indirectly contribute to the population of the area by useful birds.
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Habits and behavioral characteristics
Any change in the environment can lead to increased caution on the part of the magpie. We can say what magpies do when they notice danger. At such moments, the bird begins to scream loudly, which warns its relatives of impending trouble.
The behavior of this bird in the nest and in flight is relatively calm, and when it gets into potential trouble, it makes sounds that may resemble chirping and squeaking.
If a magpie sits on a branch, it characteristically twitches its tail. This behavioral reaction is unusual for other birds.
If we compare the magpie with other representatives of the raven family, then it has a fairly mobile and active way of life. A bird of this type rarely stands in one place for a long time. Almost always she jumps from branch to branch, looks into other people's nests and flies vast distances in search of delicacies.
The magpie avoids close contact with people. When the first frost occurs, these birds make mass migrations to city gardens and parks, and they make only single flights to the forest park area.
Lifestyle
Magpie is a cautious bird. She is afraid of dense forests, and therefore, when nesting, she chooses only safe territory. Magpies like to settle close to human habitations. They also chose small copses, forest plantations, gardens, parks and dense alleys. Birds of this type desperately protect their own tree with a nest from their relatives. This is due to the fact that competition for good living space is very high.
The magpie is a bird that can build interesting and complex nests. The basis for them is thick branches, and the outer part is coated with clay with the addition of grass. Inside, magpies line the nest with thin twigs. The bird uses the same materials to create a roof over its own home. Basically, it is done in order to camouflage itself from the attacks of predators.
The magpie is a bird with a rather mean character. She can easily leave for another partner with better living space, thereby betraying the male. Scientists were able to record that the offspring of such individuals are more viable and numerous than those of the faithful magpies.
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There are known situations where magpies lived to be 30 years old, and at the same time they were provided with excellent living conditions. Under normal conditions, these birds live a little less. The average lifespan of a magpie is 15 years.
General description of the bird
The description of the magpie says that this group of birds belongs to the raven family along with 9 other genera.
Depending on how the light falls, a magpie's plumage may appear different. Such a bird shimmers with purple, blue and green tints, but after the spring molt these tones are lost. This can be especially noticeable in males. At the end of spring, such an overflow is difficult to notice.
The body size of the common magpie reaches almost 0.5 meters. The wingspan reaches up to 90 centimeters.
The magpie's tail is longer than the body itself and has a stepped shape.
The magpie's gait is special, although on the ground this bird moves in leaps and bounds. On the crown of trees, such birds move by jumping, and they do this quite quickly and dexterously. When a magpie flies in the air, you can notice that its flight is wavy.
What are male magpies called?
A male magpie has found food for himself.
Like most wild birds, the “magpie” has a single name without distinguishing between female and male. Therefore, to indicate gender in Russian, the phrases “female magpie” and “male magpie” are used.
The magpie chick is called “magpie”, and in the plural – “magpie”.
The chicks grow up and learn to fly
Magpies, which people took as chicks and raised in their homes, become tame. They fly away for a short time, after which they return each time. Forty is taught various funny tricks and how to pronounce words.
Young birds are very active. According to Konrad Lorenz, they will never allow a cat to catch them. Magpies instantly react to the appearance of any threat.
Gerald Durrell describes the growth of his two birds, who were nicknamed Magpies in the house.
By the time the grown chicks were covered in feathers, Larry had become so accustomed to them that he had completely forgotten about their supposed criminal tendencies. Fat, smooth, talkative Magpies sat on the edge of their basket and expressed innocence with their whole appearance. Everything went well until they started learning to fly. In the first stages of training, Magpies simply jumped off the table on the veranda and, desperately flapping their wings, flew through the air for about fifteen feet, and then plopped down on the stone tiles. Their courage grew along with the strength of their wings, and soon they were able to make their first real flight, flying around the house. Their view was simply wonderful. Long tails sparkled in the sun, wings whistling through the air as the birds swooped down, flying over the vines.
