Magpies were voted Australia's favourite bird last year and they are greatly loved for their complex carolling and calls which stretch across four octaves. Carolling is used to reinforce group bonding before and after territorial skirmishes (a bit like a club's footy song after a game). Magpies also carol at dawn and sometimes throughout the night, especially if there's a full moon. Magpies are great vocal mimics and have been heard to imitate many other bird calls, car alarms, barking dogs and much more. I've been lucky to listen in a few times to a single bird's private vocalisation practise and it is such a joy - with suppressed laughs as a goose honking or koala growl is sounded in between the musical trills and warbles. Here's a link to an ABC page that has a humorous clip of a magpie trying out some sound effects. The page also has some interesting magpie facts.
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Archives
December 2018
January - Superb Fairy-Wren
Feb - Eastern Yellow Robin March - NH Honeyeater April - Crimson Rosella May - Grey Currawong June - Grey Shrike-thrush July - Red-browed Finch Aug - White-browed Babbler Sept - Australian Ringneck Oct - Striated Thornbill Nov-Y-t Black Cockatoo Dec - Australian Magpie |