Australia’s magnificent pie

BEFORE I visited Australia, I assumed their native magpie was a pied corvid. That would hardly make it unique. There are 10 or so black and white Corvus species worldwide, notably the pied crow (C. albus) and piping crow (C. typicus). But the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is unique. First, it’s not a corvid, though it is a songbird. And in the land where songbirds first evolved (and are still abundant), it’s one of the best-known and finest vocalists. Sharing the family Artamidae with the butcherbirds, currawongs and wood swallows, its closest relative is the black butcherbird (Melloria quoyi).

“It walks in an upright manner, legs close together, head slightly raised, distinctly unlike crows, which shuffle with legs far apart

In 2017, a survey conducted by Guardian Australia and BirdLife Australia found that the native magpie was the most popular Australian bird. One of its