Magpie-lark (Peewee)
Grallina cyanoleuca
Other Names: Australian Magpie-Lark, Peewee, Mudlark
Size: Birds Size: 27 cm
Family: Dicruridae (Monarchs, Fantails, Drongo,19 species in Australia)
Distribution: All of Australia except a couple of small parts of central australia and a strip going from the southern WA/SA border up to the northwest WA coast.
Status: Common
Habitat: Open areas, roadsides, often near water.
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest
About the Magpie-lark (Peewee)
The name magpie-lark is used in the bird books but everyone in real life calls this bird the peewee. They are in a different family to magpies, currawongs, and butcherbirds, though I often think of them as being a similar type of bird.
The male peewee (pictuerd below) has a black throat and a black face with a white stripe above the eye. The female has a white throat and white around her beak.
Photo: Winmalee, Blue Mountains NSW.
See Also
Australian Mammals
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods
Return to Australian Birds
