Black-backed Magpies
The Australian Magpie has three recognised races – the White-backed, the Black-backed and the Western.
Here in Murray Bridge the common one is the White-backed Magpie.
Australian Magpie (White-backed race)
From time to time I do see a Black-backed Magpie near our home. Yesterday I saw a single bird of this race just up the road from our home, perhaps about 400 metres away. This is note worthy because it is about the furthest west I’ve seen this race here in South Australia. I must keep a sharp eye out and check all those magpies that visit our garden.
Related articles:
- Australian Magpies – a more detailed discussion on the various races of this species, including notes on distribution.
[…] visit me. Crested pigeons are the most common and so are sparrows but occasionally I get the odd magpies and very very rarely, do I get a parrot […]
I live in Canberra [I formally lived in Ouyen Vic] and today I saw an import to the ACT, a white-backed magpie. We of course have the black-backed magpie in Canberra. I got used to seeing the white-backed when I lived in Ouyen but this is only the 2nd time I have seen one in Canberra and the 1st was 45 years ago! I took a photo of it but I have not yet put into onto my fotopic site. It’s a little blurry as the bird was moving away from me. How will it fair with the black-backed maggies? Will they chase it off?
Hi there Carole,
Sorry about the delay in responding.
I see no problem with the magpie you have seen. Australian Magpies are all one species with a range of sub-species which interbreed where the races merge. The Black-backed race is quite common south of Canberra – especially along the south coast of Victoria. Canberra, I believe is one area where several races merge and interbreed. Go to the “Related Articles” above for a more detailed discussion on this.