Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMonarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers)
- GenusGrallina (Mudlarks)
- SpeciesGrallina cyanoleuca (Magpie-lark)
About the Magpie-lark
The magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), also known as wee magpie, peewee, peewit, mudlark or Murray magpie, is a passerine bird native to Australia, Timor, and southern New Guinea. The male and female both have black and white plumage, though with different patterns. John Latham described the species in 1801. Long thought to be a member of the mudnest builder family Corcoracidae, it has been reclassified in the family Monarchidae (the monarch flycatchers). Two subspecies are recognized.
The magpie-lark was originally described by the English ornithologist John Latham in the genus Corvus in 1801 (as Corvus cyanoleucus). Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek words cyanos "dark blue" and leukos "white" despite the black and white plumage. However, there can be a bluish sheen to the black back. In the same publication, Latham described the same species as Gracula picata. In 1843, Hugh Edwin Strickland proposed using the second name as it was the more accurate, resulting in Grallina picata. Formerly, some authorities have classified the magpie-lark as belonging to a genus of bee-eaters, Merops.
Latham gave the species the common names of blue and... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Magpie-lark in Blue Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Blue Mountains National Park
Black-faced Monarch
Monarcha melanopsis
Leaden Flycatcher
Myiagra rubecula
Restless Flycatcher
Myiagra inquieta
Satin Flycatcher
Myiagra cyanoleuca
Eastern Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Pied Currawong
Strepera graculina
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Caligavis chrysops
Satin Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Magpie-lark in Blue Mountains National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie-lark sighting in Blue Mountains National Park, based on 2,414 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Magpie-lark in Blue Mountains National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Magpie-lark in Blue Mountains National Park in our monthly data.