home

Listen to recordings

Birds > Passerine > Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

info

Thanks to its black and white coloring an Eurasian Magpie is a very characteristic bird, which is hard to mistake for any other. It often inhabits urbanized areas. Despite appearances, it is not easy to photograph as it keeps a big distance from people. Like an Eurasian Jay it belongs to the forest's early warning system and screeches loudly when it spots the danger. Magpie is omnivorous. It hunts insects, snails, other bird's chicks, small birds, rodents, carcasses and rests of the food inclusive. Magpies weigh around 200 grams and their wingspan exceeds 50 centimeters.
Last minute news  12/2013
I have added some pictures of magpies taken ​​in the eagles’ lookout. Magpies, like starlings and jays were not the theme of the day, but were taken using the chance during white-tailed eagle session. My gallery of magpies, although it is a common bird, is not very impressive. I took a lot of pictures, but most of them were moved, or poor quality. I do not belong to the masters of the photo treatment and for this purpose I use only basic, common and simple tools. So the most crucial is to take just a good photo doing my best and make only necessary corrections. Unfortunately, there are very few such shots or  maybe once you start you cannot stop? I suppose it is like that, one would like to get rid of documentary photographs on the sites in favor of art ones. To achieve this result, there is still much to do. However, a few pictures I found successful and they completed the gallery, filled up to full size the first gallery (24 photos – the opening gallery). An interesting observation in connection with magpies is that, at least in Poznań, there are many more than a few years ago. I do not know why it is like that but they struggle for food with smaller urban species, often just by killing them. We tried to take care of the grosbeak attacked by a magpie, which in front of my daughter’s eyes was so battered that it was no longer able to fly. Despite comfortable conditions at home it did not survive until dawn. Magpies, with not many natural enemies in the public urban space, probably will  increase their numbers. What consequences will be, however, it is difficult to predict and I do not feel competent to assess this situation.
Last minute news  - 05/2017
Similarly like the gallery of Hooded crow and the magpie's gallery, it was rebuilt with pictures, which I took while waiting for birds predators.
Last minute news-11/2020
Although magpies fly often in the area where I live, the best way to take good photos is shelter. It was the same this time and the gallery was rebuilt.

Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica
Pica pica