The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds. At one stage, the Australian Magpie was considered to be three separate species, although zones of hybridisation between forms reinforced the idea of a single species with several subspecies, nine of which are now recognised. The adult Australian Magpie is a fairly robust bird ranging from 37 to 43 cm (14.5 to 17 in) in length, with distinctive black and white plumage, red eyes and a solid wedge-shaped bluish-white and black bill. Described as one of Australia's most accomplished songbirds, the Australian Magpie has an array of complex vocalisations. Common and widespread, it has adapted well to human habitation and is a familiar bird of parks, gardens and farmland in Australia and New Guinea. Magpies were introduced into New Zealand in the 1860s and are proving to be a pest by displacing native birds. Spring in Australia is magpie season, when a small minority of breeding magpies, mostly males, become aggressive and swoop and attack anyone, such as pedestrians and cyclists, approaching their nests. This species is commonly fed by households around the country and is the mascot of several Australian sporting teams.
Read the rest of this article: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Magpie> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1378: Papal Schism: Unhappy with Pope Urban VI , a group of cardinals started a rival papacy with the election of Antipope Clement VII, throwing the Roman Catholic Church into turmoil. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism> 1854: The Crimean War began with a Franco-British victory over Russian forces at the Battle of Alma near the River Alma in Crimea. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alma> 1870: The Bersaglieri entered Rome, ending the temporal power of the Pope and completing the unification of Italy. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Rome> 1946: The first Cannes Film Festival opened in Cannes, France, with eleven films eventually sharing the Palme d'Or award, then known as the Grand Prize of the Festival, that year. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannes_Film_Festival> 1979: Jean-Bédel Bokassa, ruler of the Central African Republic, was ousted in a coup d'état backed by the French government. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa> 2001: During a televised address to a joint session of the United States Congress, U.S. President George W. Bush declared a "war on terror" against Al-Qaeda and other global terrorist groups. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Terrorism> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: squamous (adj): Covered with, made of, or resembling scales; scaly <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/squamous> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. --Sophia Loren <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sophia_Loren> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
