The Superstition of Magpies
Of all superstitions concerning birds, those connected to magpies are probably the best known.
Most superstitions in the UK are to do with seeing one magpie which is thought to bring bad luck and there are a number of beliefs about what you can do to prevent the bad luck that they otherwise would bring.
The most common is to salute the magpie and many people will also acknowledge the magpie by saying "Good morning Mr Magpie and how is your wife today?" It is believed that by showing the magpie respect you will not suffer any misfortune that he could bring and you are also presuming that there is another magpie in the vicinity which means that they will bring joy rather than sorrow as mentioned in the well known rhyme "One for sorrow, two for joy".
Other things you can do is doff your hat to show respect or even flap your wings and caw to imitate another magpie which again should bring joy rather than sorrow.
In parts of the UK magpies are thought to bring about specific types of bad luck.
For example in Scotland magpies are believed to be a sign of an impending death particularly if they are seen near the window of a house.
The reason that only lone magpies bring bad luck is that magpies generally mate for life so seeing a single magpie means that the magpie could have lost his mate which is itself bad luck.
There are other legends associated with magpies such as they carry a drop of the devil's blood on their tongue and that they were the only bird who didn't comfort Jesus when he was crucified.
Magpies like all members of the crow family have a reputation for being attracted to shiny objects and stealing jewellery and other trinkets.
This again, could be a reason for them being associated with bad luck.
Magpies are also known to steal eggs and baby birds to supplement their diets and have even been known to kill small pets such as guinea pigs.
However, in some parts of the world magpies aren't associated with bad luck at all and are actually thought to bring good luck.
In Korea the sight of a magpie is believed to foretell visitors and in some parts of China the magpie is a sacred bird.
Although studies have shown that magpies don't have any effect on the populations of breeding birds it can be distressing having magpies in your garden particularly if it is home to birds and their young families.
Choose bird boxes that are impervious to predators to prevent magpies entering the nest and stealing eggs.
Most superstitions in the UK are to do with seeing one magpie which is thought to bring bad luck and there are a number of beliefs about what you can do to prevent the bad luck that they otherwise would bring.
The most common is to salute the magpie and many people will also acknowledge the magpie by saying "Good morning Mr Magpie and how is your wife today?" It is believed that by showing the magpie respect you will not suffer any misfortune that he could bring and you are also presuming that there is another magpie in the vicinity which means that they will bring joy rather than sorrow as mentioned in the well known rhyme "One for sorrow, two for joy".
Other things you can do is doff your hat to show respect or even flap your wings and caw to imitate another magpie which again should bring joy rather than sorrow.
In parts of the UK magpies are thought to bring about specific types of bad luck.
For example in Scotland magpies are believed to be a sign of an impending death particularly if they are seen near the window of a house.
The reason that only lone magpies bring bad luck is that magpies generally mate for life so seeing a single magpie means that the magpie could have lost his mate which is itself bad luck.
There are other legends associated with magpies such as they carry a drop of the devil's blood on their tongue and that they were the only bird who didn't comfort Jesus when he was crucified.
Magpies like all members of the crow family have a reputation for being attracted to shiny objects and stealing jewellery and other trinkets.
This again, could be a reason for them being associated with bad luck.
Magpies are also known to steal eggs and baby birds to supplement their diets and have even been known to kill small pets such as guinea pigs.
However, in some parts of the world magpies aren't associated with bad luck at all and are actually thought to bring good luck.
In Korea the sight of a magpie is believed to foretell visitors and in some parts of China the magpie is a sacred bird.
Although studies have shown that magpies don't have any effect on the populations of breeding birds it can be distressing having magpies in your garden particularly if it is home to birds and their young families.
Choose bird boxes that are impervious to predators to prevent magpies entering the nest and stealing eggs.
