Nimbin Rainbow Walk

Magpie-lark

bulin-bulihn (Bundjalung name)

Grallina cyanoleuca

Songs & Calls

Listen to the call of the magpie lark

Local Notes

At 7, my home was a tent in the park — here I befriended the Magpie-lark. I wrote my first song with it bobbing along. Now in the hills, when I hear its call, it says, ‘Sing your heart out, sing for us all!’ The Magpie-lark reminds me I’m connected to Country and Clan — here in Nimbin, on Bundjalung land.

by Diana Anaid

Bird Overview

The Magpie-lark is distinctively marked in black and white. The thin whitish bill and pale iris separate it from other similarly coloured species. The adult male Magpie-lark has a white eyebrow and black face, while the female has an all-white face with no white eyebrow.

Young birds have a black forehead, a white eyebrow and a white throat. The Magpie-lark is often referred to as a Peewee or Pee Wee, after the sound of its distinctive calls.

Similar species

The name Magpie-lark is quite misleading, as the species has no link with either the magpies or the larks. However, the Magpie-lark is sometimes confused with the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen. While both species are black and white, the Magpie-lark is noticeably smaller than the Australian Magpie.