Now these are Australian magpies, not to be confused with European magpies. The European magpie is in the corvid family (crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, choughs, jays, etc), whereas the Australian magpie is a member of the shrike family and not a corvid. They, like many other birds, especially those of Australian species, still display incredibly intelligent behaviour. But for me it’s their song I love best. It has a melody I find particularly endearing. As much as I love the sound of the kookaburra too – it is the good old Aussie magpie that makes me pine for home. I didn’t hear them enough when I was out there over the spring and summer of 2015/16. Early mornings with their song in the air are particularly beautiful.

Enjoy a clip from the “Magpie Whisperer” web site. You can visit the site and see more clips by clicking here.
(sorry for going “off topic” but I am sure it is evident to those of you who know me, or regularly visit my blog, just how much I love birds)