The Australian magpie is the most highly-regarded songbird of Australia with the uncanny ability to mimic other species of birds as well as dogs and horses. Once subdivided into 3 different species, they have been reclassified into one species with 9 different subspecies. One of the differences is in their black and white plumage pattern with all exhibiting sexual dimorphism (colour differences between male and female) as well. Photo #3 is a female. They tend to look more grey than white.
Australian Magpies were named by European immigrants for their resemblance to the European Magpie but are more closely related to the Black butcherbird.
Omnivores, they eat mostly insects and larvae but also small invertebrates, tubers, figs, and walnuts. They will take handouts from humans, even boldly entering open houses. Their range is most of Australia and Southern New Guinea wherever there is a combination of trees and open areas.
A nest is built by the female up to 15 m (50') above the ground, a platform of twigs with a small grass or hair lined bowl. 2-5 light blue or greenish eggs are laid. Typically, the female feeds the young but by 3 weeks after leaving the nest, they can forage on their own. They mostly feed themselves by 6 months.
These territorial birds often live in small flocks and spend much time defending the territory from other groups.
There are other similarly sized black and white birds in Australia but it's pretty easy to identify Magpies once you know of the regional plumage differences. Where I photographed these, I kept seeing a smaller bird and briefly wondered if it was their young but it is a Magpie Lark, below.
References
Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie
Images
Photos by @kansuze using my Canon SX620 HS in Perth, Western Australia
Enjoy!
@kansuze
Interesting information.
I didn't know what magpies have
the ability to imitate other voices
They're funny. The unrelated ones I saw in Texas could imitate a car back firing!