When I saw this beautiful bird in the park on the side of the river, I immediately thought he was the most elegant bird in the world because he looks like a bird who wear a tailcoat ^_^
He's a pica pica, also known as magpie (In Italy we call him "gazza") and this year I saw more of them, more than the past years. There is a group of 3-4 pica pica in my neighborhood and I often watch one of them in my backyard too. I have to say that the pica pica in my backyard is more "fat" than the bird in these pics, he/she looks like in a chicken size ^_^
I'm really intrigued by this kind of bird, at first because they "talk" using a sound very different from the other birds! The call of magpie is really particular, here in Italy we use to reproduce their call using the "cra-cra", but I read that in English is "chac-chac" ^_^
The Magpie is the most intelligent bird and I read that the intelligence of their family ( they are part of the corvid family) is equivalent to the apes like chimpanzees and gorillas! You have to know that it was observed that they have a mirror self-recognition capability (they are the only no mammal animals that have this capability).
People say that you have to pay attention to leave something shining around, because pica pica love so much shining things and they use to take them, but honestly I've never seen something similar happened ^_^
About this theme, you have to know that there is a famous italian opera called La gazza ladra (it means "The thieving Magpie") by Gioacchino Rossini. It's a melodramma in 2 acts and the ouverture is really fantastic!
Here in my area there are not some stories of folklore about this bird, but searching online I read that in some country there are some "legends" about the Magpie.
For example I read here that for English people (I want to ask to the English friends if it's true or not) there are old stories that say if you see one magpie then sorrow is coming you way. If you want to avert the sorrow you have to say "hello" to the magpie! (The next time I'll see the magpie I'll do it!)
I found the words of a nursery rhyme that my English teacher read to our class to teach us the languege and it's about the magpie:
One for the sorrow
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss
Now I understand better the meanings of this song of Radiohead ;)
See ya soon
Silvia
