<P> The Australian magpie is almost exclusively diurnal, although it may call into the night, like some other members of the Artamidae . Natural predators of magpies include various species of monitor lizard and the barking owl . Birds are often killed on roads or electrocuted by powerlines, or poisoned after killing and eating house sparrows or mice, rats or rabbits targeted with baiting . The Australian raven may take nestlings left unattended . </P> <P> On the ground, the Australian magpie moves around by walking, and is the only member of the Artamidae to do so; woodswallows, butcherbirds and currawongs all tend to hop with legs parallel . The magpie has a short femur (thigh bone), and long lower leg below the knee, suited to walking rather than running, although birds can run in short bursts when hunting prey . </P> <P> The magpie is generally sedentary and territorial throughout its range, living in groups occupying a territory, or in flocks or fringe groups . A group may occupy and defend the same territory for many years . Much energy is spent defending a territory from intruders, particularly other magpies, and different behaviours are seen with different opponents . The sight of a raptor results in a rallying call by sentinel birds and subsequent coordinated mobbing of the intruder . Magpies place themselves either side of the bird of prey so that it will be attacked from behind should it strike a defender, and harass and drive the raptor to some distance beyond the territory . A group will use carolling as a signal to advertise ownership and warn off other magpies . In the negotiating display, the one or two dominant magpies parade along the border of the defended territory while the rest of the group stand back a little and look on . The leaders may fluff their feathers or caroll repeatedly . In a group strength display, employed if both the opposing and defending groups are of roughly equal numbers, all magpies will fly and form a row at the border of the territory . The defending group may also resort to an aerial display where the dominant magpies, or sometimes the whole group, swoop and dive while calling to warn an intruding magpie's group . </P> <P> A wide variety of displays are seen, with aggressive behaviours outnumbering pro-social ones . Crouching low and uttering quiet begging calls are common signs of submission . The manus flutter is a submissive display where a magpie will flutter its primary feathers in its wings . A magpie, particularly a juvenile, may also fall, roll over on its back and expose its underparts . Birds may fluff up their flank feathers as an aggressive display or preceding an attack . Young birds display various forms of play behaviour, either by themselves or in groups, with older birds often initiating the proceedings with juveniles . These may involve picking up, manipulating or tugging at various objects such as sticks, rocks or bits of wire, and handing them to other birds . A bird may pick up a feather or leaf and flying off with it, with other birds pursuing and attempting to bring down the leader by latching onto its tail feathers . Birds may jump on each other and even engage in mock fighting . Play may even take place with other species such as blue - faced honeyeaters and Australasian pipits . </P>

What is a group of australian magpies called