Magpie

Latin name:
Pica pica

Characteristics:

Unmistakable black and white plumage; a black bird with a white underside and white shoulders. Their black feathers have a green, blue or purple metallic sheen. Magpies have a long tail and a confident, slightly tottering stride. When they hop, they can jump relatively great distances.
Magpies make all kinds of scratching sounds, but can also sing softly and imitate other birds. Magpies are songbirds, as are the other corvids

Reproduction:

In general, magpies are monogamous and loyal to their partner for life. When a strange female appears within a territory, this can lead to courting by the local male and aggressive confrontations with the local female. Together, couples build amazing nests of branches, reinforced with soil and covered with roots. Furthermore, a roof is added to the nest as protection against predation and the nest is given a hidden entrance.
One clutch is laid per breeding season with 5 to 7 eggs. The females sits on her eggs for 17 to 24 days, and after 22 to 30 days the young leave the nest. They will stay close to their parents for another 6 weeks.
This is followed by an interesting period. Young magpies live in ‘youth gangs’ until the age of three. During that time, they gain enough experience to be able to raise young magpies themselves.

Diet:

Magpies are not picky about eating and almost always look for their food on the ground. They will eat whatever they can find. Outside of urban areas, they mainly eat leatherjackets, beetles, earthworms and other insects, but also small mammals, lizards, eggs from other birds, and young birds, in particular when they have young themselves. Sometimes, you will see magpies sitting on sheep to pick off parasites. In urban areas, magpies eat what people leave behind; litter is examined, and rubbish bags are picked open. If you put bird food out in the garden in winter, there is a good chance that magpies will come and take their share.