Welcome to You Ask Andy

Julie Bookout, age 11, of Montgomery, Alabama, for her question;

What is a magpie like?

The handsome magpie is a member of the smart crow family and just about as sassy as his cousin the blue jay. Various magpies live in Asia, Europe and Australia. Two species make their homes in North America. They favor our western territories, so you are not likely to meet one in Alabama. You miss the opportunity to enjoy his outstanding character   and he misses the opportunity to raid your vegetable patch.

Most of our birds have always belonged to North America. The house sparrows and pesky starlings., sad to say, were brought here by the pioneers. But the bird experts tell us that our magpie came here from Asia, under his own wing power, by way of Siberia and Alaska. The black billed cousin enjoys life in the valleys of California. Both species reside in their territories throughout the year.

Mr. Magpie is a slender, elegant bird with a tail as long as his head and body. His glossy black feathers glisten with shimmering blues and brassy greens. The basic black is set off with a snowy whitc weskit and white shoulder shawl that tapers down in back in a deep V shape. His bill may be black or yellow. But that eye catching; black and white magpie outfit distinguishes him from all other birds.

In character, he resembles other smart and sassy members of the crow family. And, like his cousins the crow and the blue jay, he is a born snitcher. With a flock of gabby friends and relatives,  he steals our berries and pecks our melons. He also steals baby chicks. Sometimes the mischievous fellow enjoys pecking at newly shorn sheep, when they are most sensitive. And sometimes he flies off with a spoon or a piece of bright jewelry.

The farmer and his wife may rate the magpie as a pest. But ecologists admire him for his useful role in the world of nature. He reduces the population of destructive rodents and removes decaying carrion from the countryside. He also devours hosts of grasshoppers and other insects that ruin our crops. For this reason, the magpie is rated as a pest control. And in this department, he is far superior to man made insecticides and other risky chemicals we use to protect our crops. For he performs his valuable services without adding pollutants to our environment and thoroughly enjoys his role in the ecological balance of nature.

The magpie is always interested in people who visit or live in his territory. Sometimes he decides to adopt a human family. He soon becomes a very intelligent pet, full of sassy tricks and gabby conversation. True, he may snitch a few pieces of jewelry and cast admiring glances at the spoons. But these crimes are forgotten and forgiven. For sooner or later he is likely to startle the family with a few spoken human words. check the following website for more info:

 http://www.eol.org/search?q=magpie&search_image=&search_type=text

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