Magpies may not be a pesky Australian import – new research finds their ancestors thrived in NZ a long time ago

Magpies may not be a pesky Australian import – new research finds their ancestors thrived in NZ a long time ago

Shutterstock/Russ JenkinsFor many New Zealanders, the Australian magpie is a familiar, if sometimes vexing, sight. Introduced from Australia in the 1860s, magpies are known for their territorial dive-bombing during nesting season, which has cemented their reputation as an unwelcome import. But our new research reveals a fascinating twist in this narrative. For more than two decades, we have been unearthing fossils from sites near St Bathans in C…

Magpie ancestors lived in NZ 19 million years ago

After more than two decades of digging and analysing fossils in Central Otago, a trans-Tasman team of researchers have now found enough fragments to describe a new species of currawong: an ancient ancestor of the bird that menaces New Zealand today. The ancient bird would have been about the same size as the Australian magpie found in New Zealand today but was probably all black.