Scientific Name: Grallina cyanoleuca

A familiar bird to most Australians, the magpie-lark or peewee is simply but distinctively coloured in black and white. Males have a black throat, face and crown with conspicuous white eyebrow markings, while the female has a white throat and face and no eyebrows. Total length is around 30cm.

Did You Know? Magpie-larks are mostly seen foraging in pairs, however, outside of the breeding season, flocks of as many as a hundred or more birds may form in search of food sources.

Habitat: A resident of virtually any habitat around Australia except rainforests, magpie-larks are also very common in urban areas and are regularly seen foraging alongside roads, skillfully avoiding the speeding traffic.

Diet: Insects, spiders, small lizards and frogs form the varied diet.

Reproduction: Another name for the magpie-lark is the mudlark. This is because the nest is constructed of mud reinforced with plant material, molded to fit on an open tree branch. When dry the structure is as hard and durable as concrete. The inside of the nest is lined with feathers to provide a soft bedding for the eggs, 3-5 in number, which are incubated by both parents for around two and a half weeks.