Magpie lark fact sheet – birrarik

What is a magpie lark?

Also known as a peewee or mudlark, magpie larks are small to medium sized black and white birds that build nests made of mud. Magpie larks are usually seen in pairs. The markings on the male and female are different from each other – the male with a black throat and horizontal eye stripe and the female with a white throat and vertical eye stripe.

The magpie lark is called  birrarik  by Darug Peoples of the Sydney Basin. The scientific name is Grallina cyanoleuca. ‘Cyan’ is the Ancient Greek word for dark blue and ‘leukos’ means white. Although magpie larks are black and white, it is thought this description relates to the dark blue sheen sometimes visible on their black back feathers.

Male and female magpie larks. The male is in the foreground with his black throat and horizontal eye stripe.

What do magpie larks look like?

Adult magpie larks are 25 to 30 centimetres long. Adult female magpie larks have a white throat and black vertical stripe through their eye. Adult males have a black throat and a horizontal black stripe through their eye. Both male and females have a white belly and black back.

Male and female juvenile magpie larks differ from the adults. Both male and female juveniles have white throats, white bellies and broad white eyebrows. Magpie larks are smaller and more delicate looking than Australian magpies. A distinguishing feature of magpie larks is the way their head moves forwards and backwards in time with their feet as they walk.

Adult male magpie lark

Adult female magpie lark

What do magpie larks sound like?

Magpie larks have a sharp ‘pee-wee pee-wee’ and ‘doo-dit doo-dit’ call. They have a sharp ‘pe-pee-pee-pee’ alarm call. The pee-wee sounding call gives the birds their alternative name of peewee.

Pairs of magpie larks call in duet, with a note from each bird sung in quick succession so that it sounds like a single call. The more co-ordinated the duet, the more threat it poses to surrounding birds as it indicates that there is a pair of closely bonded birds that will work in harmony to defend their territory.

Where do magpie larks live?

Widespread in urban and rural areas, magpie larks are found across almost all of Australia, except for some dense forests and dry inland desert areas. Magpie larks are also found in Timor and Southern New Guinea and are also widespread on Lord Howe Island following their introduction to the island.

Magpie larks prefer open areas with sparse or low grasses for foraging their prey. They usually live near water such as creeks or billabongs as they need access to mud for nest building, which they build on a horizontal tree branch.

Adapting well to a variety of environments that meet their needs, magpie larks are seen on farms, parks, backyards, bushland and clear shorelines of creeks and lakes.

Magpie larks often forage for prey along clear shorelines of creeks and lakes.

What do magpie larks eat?

Magpie larks are mainly carnivorous, foraging whilst walking along the ground or shorelines for invertebrates such as insects, spiders and small vertebrates such as lizards.

Male magpie lark with an insect in its beak

How are magpie larks adapted to their environment?

Behavioural adaptations of magpie larks include their territorial behaviours, duet calling, mud nest building capabilities and pairing for life. Magpie larks are territorial and aggressively defend their nesting territory through calls and physical displays. They swoop birds and animals they consider a threat, including humans. If a magpie lark sees itself in a reflective surface such as a mirror, window or car duco it will try to attack the reflection as it thinks it is an intruding bird. If feeling threatened on the ground, magpie larks raise and wave their tail up and down.

In the breeding season duet calls of males and females are often accompanied by a display of raised wings and fanned tails which warns off other magpie larks. If they hear duet calls from a neighbouring pair of magpie larks, the territorial pair will call more loudly. They call even more loudly if they don’t recognise the calls of a potentially intruding pair.

Pairs of male and female magpie larks usually pair for life, raising their young together. The pair of magpie larks are mud nest builders, selecting a safe horizontal branch then carrying mud and nesting materials in their beaks to construct a neat round thick-walled nest.

Magpie larks call and raise their wings and fan their tail to ward off potential intruders to their territory.

Structural adaptations of magpie larks include their beaks, legs and wings. Magpie larks use their pointed beak for foraging along the ground, catching and carrying prey and for carrying mud and other nesting material. Their legs are designed for walking on the ground in search of prey. The wings of magpie larks enable them to fly to find nesting sites, build nests, carry food to their young, defend their territory and escape predators.

A female magpie lark flying and carrying food to its young in their nest.

How do magpie larks reproduce and what is their life-cycle?

The nest of a magpie lark is built on a horizontal tree branch, often overhanging a creek or body of water. It is constructed of grasses and mud, the mud binding the plant material together into a round bowl with vertical sides about 15 centimetres in diameter. These nests are often visible and are a distinguishing feature of magpie larks – hence their alternate name of mud lark. Both the male and female build the nest. They line it with foraged soft material such as grass, fur and feathers.

Spring and summer is usually the breeding season for magpie larks although they can be opportunistic breeders. That means they breed when the conditions are favourable for raising young, such as when there will be plenty of insects for food.

A clutch of 3 to 5 eggs is laid and both parents incubate the eggs which takes about 18 days. ‘Incubate’ means to keep warm. After hatching, the young hatchlings remain in the nest for about three weeks as their body and flight feathers grow.

After 3 to 4 months the juveniles develop their adult plumage and leave the family group, becoming nomadic in flocks of other single magpie larks.

Magpie larks may raise a second brood of young in a breeding season. A ‘brood’ is another word for family.

Female magpie lark on her mud nest with the male on the branch. Both birds build the nest and incubate the eggs.

Young magpie lark chicks calling for food as their parents approach the nest. The spikes on their body are the beginnings of their feather covering.

A male magpie lark feeding his nestlings. Both parents feed their babies.

What is the role of magpie larks in the environment?

As carnivores, eating mainly invertebrates, magpie larks help maintain the balance of nature.

What threats do magpie larks face and how can we help them?

Being ground feeders, in urban areas domestic cats may hunt and catch magpie larks. Keeping cats indoors, or, if outside, attaching a bell to a cat’s collar or harness, will help protect magpie larks.

Use of pesticides in gardens can also impact mud larks as they can ingest poisoned insects. Providing a source of water such as a bird bath benefits magpie larks and all native birds.

Pair of magpie larks enjoying a drink and bath in a raised bird bath

Related fact sheets

More bird fact sheets

• Bird fact sheets – overview
• Australian magpie fact sheet (similar black-and-white ground feeder)
• Australian raven fact sheet (another black-and-white ground-feeding bird)
• Butcherbird fact sheet (another territorial songbird predator)

Habitats and food sources

• Ground cover habitats fact sheet (foraging area)
• Water habitats fact sheet (shorelines of creeks, billabongs, lakes)
• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet

Animals linked through food webs

• Invertebrate fact sheet – overview (food source)

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