Australian Magpie
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[Photo] Australian Magpie on a dead branch, East Gippsland, Australia. Taken by Fir0002 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fir0002

The Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen is a medium-sized black and white bird, closely related to the butcherbirds and currawongs in the Artamidae family. Early European settlers named it for its black and white coloration, similar to the familiar European magpie, which is a more distant relative.

Familiar birds around Australia and New Guinea, magpies were introduced into New Zealand in the 1860s and are proving to be a pest by displacing native birds.

Description
Adult magpies are fairly solid, well-built birds with pure black and white plumage: juveniles mix the stark blacks and whites with lighter greys and browns. Males and females are generally similar in appearance, though a few exceptions noted under individual varieties below.

Mature magpies have red eyes, in contrast to the yellow eyes of currawongs and white eyes of Australian ravens and crows. Immature birds have darker brownish eyes.

Butcherbirds are generally smaller and stockier, while magpie larks are delicate birds with white eyes.

Some magpies have lived up to 30 years.

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