Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca Scientific name definitions

25–30 cm; male 63·9–118 g and female 70–94·5 g (nominate), male 71–102 g and female 60–90 g (neglecta). Male has broad white line above eye, large white patch from ear-coverts down to side of neck; rest of head, and throat and upper breast glossy black; hindneck to rump glossy black, bases of scapulars white, uppertail-coverts white; tail white (appearing mostly black from above), broad black subterminal area (broadest on central feather pair, decreasing outwards, variable amount of black on outermost rectrix), tip white; upperwing black, most of secondary wing-coverts white, bases of inner secondaries white, tertials tipped white; underparts below upper breast white; iris white to pale straw-yellow or pale greyish; bill ivory-coloured to creamy, with blackish nasal groove and distal half of culmen; legs dark bluish-grey to blackish. Female differs from male in having forehead and throat white, a broad black band extending from black crown down side of face to chest, and behind this a broad white area from eye down to shoulder and meeting white of underparts. Juvenile appears to have mixture of features of male and female adults, with black crown and white stripe above eye (like male) but white throat and white area from eye down to shoulder (like female), also black parts of plumage dull, rather than glossy, iris dark brown (not white) and bill dark grey to black (not ivory with black tip). Races differ mainly in size: <em>neglecta</em> is smaller than nominate, with wing and tail of male significantly shorter than those of nominate, bill proportionately longer, also tends to have more black in outer tail (but this matched by some nominate).

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Introduced (nominate race) on Lord Howe I.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Open vegetation, farmland, parks and gardens; requires surface water supply, and consequently is sparse in arid zones. In New Guinea, found beside rivers and lakes and in savanna. Lowlands, in Australia locally to 1000 m, occasionally to 1200 m.

Mainly invertebrates , including insects , spiders (Araneae), worms (Oligochaeta) and crustaceans; also small frogs, occasionally some seeds. Forages mainly on open ground , including edges of wetlands, exposed tidal flats, and lawns in urban areas. Walks along on ground or wades in muddy margins, opportunistically gleaning items; often stops and scratches a few times at ground, then moves backwards a little and snaps up prey thus uncovered. Seen to flush and pursue prey in grass, and to employ technique of "foot-trembling" on very wet mud in order to bring items to surface. Will seize aerial prey by sallying briefly into air, usually from ground but sometimes from low perch. Very active, constantly calling and fluttering about. Singly or in pairs; young form flocks of variable size.

Loud and metallic vocalizations , of three main types: solo call, a monosyllabic or disyllabic note given by single individual, usually repeated a variable number of times at intervals of c. 1 second; antiphonal call, in which one member of pair gives solo call and its partner calls during the intervals in the series, producing highly synchronized sequence of alternating calls; third type is rapid call, in which individual repeats high-pitched "pee" or similar at rate of about four per second in relatively long sequence.

Timing related to rainfall, availability of mud for nest construction, daylength and probably temperature: in SW Western Australia commences nest-building in Jul, egg-laying Aug, but unseasonal heavy rain known to initiate nesting in Apr; in SE of country (Canberra, where winter wet and cold) building late Aug, laying Sept; in tropical far N Queensland (dry winter, wet summer) nesting recorded in all months except Apr and Jun; second broods common, and up to four broods recorded. Monogamous, with long-term pair-bond; single report of co-operative breeding (in Melbourne), with male and two females, all three contributing to nest-building, incubation of eggs, brooding and feeding of nestlings, and provisioning of fledglings. Solitary nester, pair maintains permanent territory. Nest constructed by both partners, an open cup or bowl made from mud and fibrous plant material, lined with fine strands of vegetation and small feathers, placed 5–20 m above ground, occasionally higher, usually on outer part of tree branch, sometimes on man-made structure (e.g. telegraph pole, other pole, lamppost); nest reused or new one constructed for subsequent brood. Clutch 1–6 eggs; incubation by both sexes, period 17–19 days; chicks brooded and fed by both parents, leave nest at 19–23 days; young fed by both adults until c. 14 days after fledging, fed less thereafter, and independent c. 5 weeks after fledging; young remain within natal territory, but parents attack them if they approach, and offspring generally leave and join juvenile flocks when c. 9–11 weeks old. Nests parasitized by Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus), Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) and Eastern Koel (Eudynamys orientalis). Breeding success moderate to rather low, and more than 50% of young die as nestlings or within few weeks of fledging; of 761 eggs in 216 nests throughout Australian range, 405 hatched, and 227 young fledged; of 1099 nests at which outcome known, 743 (67·6%) produced at least one young and remaining 356 failed; predators a primary cause of nest failure. Age at first breeding 2 years. Lifespan 10 years or longer.