magpie n
1. long-tailed black-and-white bird that utters a chattering call
2. someone who collects things that have been discarded by others [syn: scavenger, pack rat]
3. an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker [syn: chatterer, babbler, prater, chatterbox, spouter]

Magpie \Mag"pie\, n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr. Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and common name of the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita pearl, Gr. ?, prob. of Eastern origin. See Pie magpie, and cf. the analogous names Tomtit, and Jackdaw.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail. Note: The common European magpie (Pica pica, or P. caudata}) is a black and white noisy and mischievous bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie (P. Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled magpie (P. Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue magpie (Cyanopolius Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other allied species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white magpie (Gymnorhina organicum), the black magpie (Strepera fuliginosa), and the Australian magpie (Cracticus picatus). Magpie lark (Zo["o]l.), a common Australian bird (Grallina picata}), conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also little magpie. Magpie moth (Zo["o]l.), a black and white European geometrid moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.

The magpie is a large bird. It is in the crow family, Corvidae.

The word "magpie" is used to describe the European Magpie (Pica pica). This is because there are no other magpies in Europe except for in Spain and Portugal. However there are different species of magpie. Some are black and white and are in the Genus Pica. Some are green and blue and are also known as "oriental" magpies (Genus Urocissa and Cissa). There is also one species of blue and white magpie, the Azure-Winged Magpie Cyanopica cyana.

There are also two other species of bird that are named Magpie. However, they are not true magpies. There is the Black Magpie, which is really a treepie. There is also the Australian Magpie. It is not a member of the crow family. It is in the Artamidae family.

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