File:Black-backed magpie standing on ground - DPLA - cdb16f99a2720c99222cd9796208d2e6.jpg

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Aves; Order: Passeriformes; Family: Cracticidae; Genus: Gymnorhina; Genus species: Gymnorhina tibicen. Animal characteristics: Head-Body Length: 38-44 cm; Identification: The black backed magpie is a black bird with white on its lower back, the middle outer side of the wing, and on the back of its neck; Habitat: Open areas, bush lands, rural and urban areas; Diet: Carnivore: worms, insects, spiders, ground-dwelling invertebrates; Reproduction: Breeding occurs from July to February, with the exact timing depending on the climate. Three to five eggs are incubated by the female for 20 days; Social Structure: There is a strict hierarchy with a dominant male, two to three females, and their young; Behavior: Permanent territories are established for feeding, rousting, and nesting; Status: No special status; Interesting Facts: Black-backed magpies are territorial; non-competitive residents are grudgingly tolerated, but larger visitors such as hawks, parrots, or herons are assailed with a pandemonium.