What is the difference between the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)?
The Australian Magpie is a bird in the Artamidae family of butcherbirds, whereas the Eurasian or European Magpie is a bird in the Corvidae family of crows. The Australian Magpie is an artamid and the Eurasian Magpie is a corvid. They are both passerine songbirds.
The Australian Magpie is black and white, whereas the Eurasian Magpie has a black and metallic iridescent green head, neck, and chest. Its belly and shoulder feathers are white. Its wings are black with green and purple.
The Australian Magpie has a strong bluish-white and black beak, wheras the Eurasian Magpie has a black beak.
The Australian Magpie has gold-brown eyes, whereas the Eurasian Magpie has dark-brown eyes.
The Australian Magpie and the Eurasian Magpie are about the same size, growing to about 43 centimetres (17 inches).
The Australian Magpie has a slightly larger wingspan than the Eurasian Magpie. The Australian Magpie has a wingspan of 65-85 centimetres (25-35 inches) across, whereas the Eurasian Magpie has a wingspan of 52-62 centimetres (20-24 inches) across.
The Australian Magpie has a shorter tail than the Eurasian Magpie. The Australian Magpie’s black and white tail is about 20 centimetres (8 inches) long, whereas the Eurasian Magpie’s black and green tail is about 28 centimetres (11 inches) long.
The Australian Magpie and the Eurasian Magpie both nest in trees, but forage for food on the ground.
The female Australian Magpie lays 2-5 blue or green eggs that hatch after about 20 days, whereas the female Eurasian Magpie lays 5-6 pale blue-green spotted eggs that hatch after about 22 days.
The Australian Magpie is native to Australia and southern New Guinea in the Southern Hemisphere, whereas the Eurasian Magpie is found across Europe and Asia in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Australian Magpie and the Eurasian Magpie are among the most intelligent bird species in the world. Zoologists say that their nidopallium (part of a bird’s brain) is about the same size as the brain of chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM