Eurasian Magpie

How to recognise it

• Long, wedge-shaped tail, often as long as the rest of the body
• White belly, flanks and shoulders, the rest black with a metallic sheen
• Close up, tail and flight feathers shimmer green, blue or purple
• Young birds have browner black head and breast and a shorter, unglossed tail

Call and song

The commonest call is a harsh, laughing chatter in series: "schäck-schäck-schäck". It is a warning and alarm call, and fast, broken chattering shows great agitation. Pairs give a low, half-stifled babbling song, often heard on cold winter days. To mark territory they use a call like "kia", "kjää" or "kik".

Where and when

A partial migrant that breeds in Sweden. Here it is wholly tied to human settlements, seldom more than a few hundred metres from houses. In towns it lives mainly in residential areas, parks, avenues, churchyards and large gardens. Reported from all 21 counties, most in December and January. The 2007 population estimate was 300 000 to 700 000 pairs.

Food and behaviour

The Eurasian Magpie is omnivorous and often feeds on the ground. In the breeding season in spring and early summer it raids other birds' nests for eggs and young. On the ground it often hops with both feet together or walks jerkily, often with its tail raised. Its flight is flappy and straight. In winter magpies form flocks of a dozen up to a few hundred birds.