Australian magpie in New Zealand

The Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea.

They are still scarce in South Westland and Stewart Island, and in Golden Bay / Mohua,[2] where Tasman District Council aims to keep them out.

Scientific peer-reviewed academic research carried out over decades seldom, if at all, justifies the Australian magpie's status as a pest species in New Zealand, let alone a predator.

The authors suggest that magpies may have a positive effect on the abundance of other birds, as they chase off proven predators such as swamp harriers.

[7] Australian magpies are not classified as a pest organism at a national level (NZ Biosecurity – direct communication via email).

In the poem each verse except for the last one ended with the couplet: This imitation of the distinctive call of the magpie is one of the most recognised lines in New Zealand poetry.