Australian Magpie

Description:

The Australian Magpie is "black and white, but the plumage pattern varies across its range. Its nape, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, grey in females. Across most of Australia, the remainder of the body is black...The eye of adult birds is chestnut brown." (Birdlife Australia)

Habitat:

Having a splash in a small creek coming from a small waterfall near the entrance to the walks at Bunya Mountains National Park.

Notes:

I never grew tired of listening to these birds singing when I grew up. They are one of Australia's most highly regarded songbirds. We had a young one that we raised and it would sit on your shoulder and quietly warble away in your ear. There is a pair that come and hang out in the back yard at home in Queensland and every season they raise chicks, they will bring them by to be introduced. They are also a polarising bird in that, they are known for swooping during breeding season, so people either love them or hate them. Here is a fantastic article about these incredible birds: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017... Check out this little video of this character having a bath: https://youtu.be/Uq8-9YuCcnw Check out this little video of the same character preening after bathing: https://youtu.be/bEw49RACFZg