Comments by "C S ~ \x5bDuke of Ramble\x5d" (@DUKE_of_RAMBLE) on "Training Australia's Dangerous Magpies" video.

Having family in the US state of Alaska, I spent quite a lot of my life there even though we didn't actually live there. They have a Magpie, too, which is similar in pattern to the Aussie kind, but when you get the sun on them just right, they have this beautiful irridescent blue/purple that comes through the black. Anyways, I've strayed from my point... lol For most of my 38 years, I always knew them by the name my dad would call them by, only within the last few years coming to find out they are "Magpies"... The name I knew them as? "Camp Robber"! :P For exactly that reason. They're cunning and brave, willing to swoop in and rob your camp of any food you've left unattended. Thankfully, I've not been robbed by them!
2
The Magpie relatives that live in Alaska (in the US) are also quite a bunch. They sound quite a bit different than these 'blokes' though. These last few summers I've been taking a different approach, by trying to lure them in by talking to them... well, Parroting, more accurately. But unsuccessfully, to no surprise :P They do make other songbird-esque noises (being that they are technically one), though not quite like yours do, but the main call from the ones in Alaska sounds like "Rick-rick-rrriiiiiiick" or "wreck" instead of "rick". This last summer I had one -- what I can only equate to as having either chastised me, or ridiculed me. lmao I was doing my imitation and then it called back from wherever it was in the trees, this long string of fast, alternating pitch of the "rick" noise. As if to say "Dude, you are absolutely SHIT at that, and I'm trying to have a conversation with mates here, so sssshut the fuck up!" So after chuckling, I obliged :P I'm not sure how I'm going to befriend that lot, as even my dead-squirrel offerings I leave them, go unconsumed... I'll probably have to resort to human-grade noms as, afterall, their nickname in that region IS "The Camprobber"!
1