Australian Magpie: Biology and Behavior of an Unusual Songbird--Australian Natural History Series (Australian Natural History)

The warbling and carolling of the Australian magpie are familiar to many although few of us recognise that it ranks among the foremost songbirds of the world. Its impressive vocal abilities, its propensity to play and clown, and its willingness to interact with people, make the magpie one of our most well-known birds. This insightful book presents a comprehensive account of the behaviour of one of Australia's best-loved icons. It reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behaviour, in a highly readable text. The author brings together much of what we know about the magpie’s biology and behaviour, including her latest research on magpie vocalisation as well as aspects of anatomy, physiology, development and health not published previously. The warbling and carolling of the Australian magpie are familiar to many although few of us recognize that it ranks among the foremost songbirds of the world. Its impressive vocal abilities, its propensity to play and clown, and its willingness to interact with people, make the magpie one of our most well-known birds. This insightful book presents a comprehensive account of the behavior of one of Australia's best-loved icons. It reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behavior, in a highly readable text. The author brings together much of what we know about the magpies biology and behavior, including her latest research on magpie vocalization as well as aspects of anatomy, physiology, development and health not published previously. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 7 Introduction 8 Chapter 1 Origin and classification 12 Chapter 2 Anatomy 22 Chapter 3 Diet and feeding habits 34 Chapter 4 Territoriality and dispersal 44 Chapter 5 Bonding and breeding 56 Chapter 6 Physical and social development 66 Chapter 7 Agonistic and cooperative behaviour 82 Chapter 8 Song production 96 Chapter 9 Communication and mimicry 106 Chapter 10 Magpies and humans 118 Epilogue The success of magpies 128 Endnotes 130 References 134 The Australian magpie ranks amongst the foremost songbirds of the world. This book covers research on magpie vocalisation and aspects of anatomy, physiology, development and health. This research spans six years with more than 6000 hours of observation of free-ranging magpies and nest-sites Brings together everything we know about the biology and behaviour of this unusual species