magpies

“Those black and white birds are beautiful,” says my cousin visiting from LA. “What are they?” “Magpies.” Beautiful? Magpies? Here in Alberta, Canada, they’re as common as sparrows. Ignored by most, hated by some, they’re scavengers and bullies. I call them biker birds. About as big as your forearm, they prey on smaller birds, squirrels and harass rabbits. What I think is common, visitors find exotic, similar to when I visit Texas and see armadillos. Lately I have been appreciating magpies. My cousin is right. They are attractive, coloured like penguins except they’re fighter jets, not chubby submarines. And they’re fearless. They don’t care what you think.