Magical creatures
AN APPRECIATION OF THE MAGPIE
Good morning Mr Magpie, how’s your wife and kids?” I can’t help it – at the sight of the lone pied bird perched in the low, leafless branches of an oak, the words just tumble out of my mouth. It’s a longing-rained habit. But the phrase isn’t the only tradition associated with the sight of a lone magpie. Someone I know looks around for a crow immediately after spying one. Another crosses themselves to dispel any bad luck this member of the corvid family might bestow.
These little rituals have surrounded the magpie for centuries. It’s thought they’re rooted in Christianity – the story goes that it was the only bird not to accompany Noah into the Ark, instead choosing to perch on the roof, laughing and chattering as the world was covered in water.
And it’s not just bad luck they’re accused of. Magpies also have a reputation for thievery, apparently taking a liking to shiny objects and stealing them away to decorate the tangle of twigs that make up their nests. However, studies have shown the birds are intrigued by most objects regardless of their shininess, picking them up and turning them over in their beaks before discarding them. Surely that’s a sign of curiosity and cleverness, rather than skulduggery?
In fact, magpies’ intelligence has been proven. The birds can pass the so-called mirror test, designed to assess an animal’s ability to recognise itself – impressive considering only a select group of mammals can do this. Scientists placed a coloured sticker on the necks of the birds and, when shown a mirror, the magpies scratched at the marker.
It’s not just their intelligence that’s striking, their looks are, too. In the right kind of sparkling winter light their feathers glow, their wings iridescent with purple and blue hues, and their tail a glossy green. They’re easier to spot at this time of year – with less vegetation around, their black and white plumage stand out spectacularly. Often seen flying between trees in a skittish, bobbing flight, perched on fence posts or strutting across lawns, they’ve adapted to a number of environments: gardens, city parks, farmland and woodland. Wherever there’s an abundance of food, you can spot them in groups of up to 20 – though the “One for sorrow” rhyme doesn’t stretch that far.
Magpies aren’t fussy in their diets and eat a wide range of berries, grains, insects, carrion and even scavenged pet food. But they also predate songbirds and small mammals, which has made them unpopular with some. The concern that magpies may have contributed to the decline of rarer species has added to their undeservedly ominous reputation. But studies commissioned by the RSPB suggest declines in songbirds are more likely to be caused by loss of habitat and food sources than by magpies.
So next time you spot a magpie, perhaps pause before thinking of it as an evil omen. You might even find yourself, like me, wishing it a good morning and politely enquiring after its family.