What Is a Group of Magpies Called?
A clever, self-aware bird with a reputation it may not fully deserve.
A group of magpies is most often called a tiding, with congregation and charm also used. Magpies are one of the very few non-mammal species known to recognize themselves in a mirror, a strong sign of self-awareness.
What Is a Group of Magpies Called?
Tiding is the most traditional term specifically tied to magpies, appearing in old folk rhymes about counting them for fortune-telling (“one for sorrow, two for joy…”). Congregation and charm also show up in modern collective-noun lists, though charm is more properly associated with finches.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Tiding” likely connects to the old folk belief that the number of magpies you spotted foretold coming news, good or bad, a superstition still preserved in the well-known rhyme. Some lists also attach terms like “murder” or “gulp” to magpies, but those are more properly associated with crows and cormorants respectively, and likely crept in through careless copying between collective-noun lists over the years rather than genuine, distinct usage for magpies.
Magpie Facts
- They know themselves: Eurasian magpies are one of the only non-mammal species shown to pass the mirror self-recognition test, a marker of self-awareness usually associated with great apes, dolphins, and elephants.
- The shiny-object myth is mostly busted: Despite their reputation as compulsive thieves of shiny objects, studies have found magpies are actually more cautious around unfamiliar shiny items, not drawn to them.
- Serious hoarders: Magpies cache food in numerous hidden spots and can remember an impressive number of these locations over time.
- They hold grudges (sort of): Magpies can recognize individual human faces and have been observed reacting differently to people who’ve previously threatened or bothered them.
- Highly social: Outside of breeding season, magpies often gather in loose, noisy groups, sometimes called “parliaments,” to socialize, forage, or even hold what researchers have described as ritualized gatherings around a dead magpie.
Example Sentences
- A tiding of magpies chattered noisily from the top of the old oak tree.
- The farmer watched a congregation of magpies pick through the freshly turned soil.
Other Names for a Group of Magpies
Tiding is the term most distinctly tied to magpie folklore and the one worth leading with. Congregation is a fairly common general alternate, while charm, though sometimes listed for magpies, is more accurately the term reserved for finches.
🧠 Test Your Magpie Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.
1. What’s the most traditional term for a group of magpies?
2. What cognitive test have magpies famously passed?
3. Is the “magpies steal shiny objects” myth true?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of magpies called?
Most often a tiding, with congregation also commonly used.
Do magpies really steal shiny objects?
Largely a myth. Studies have found magpies tend to be cautious around unfamiliar shiny objects rather than drawn to them.
Can magpies recognize themselves in a mirror?
Yes, Eurasian magpies are one of the few non-mammal species known to pass the mirror self-recognition test.
Can magpies recognize human faces?
Yes, magpies have been shown to recognize individual human faces and react differently based on past encounters.
Is “charm” the correct term for a group of magpies?
It sometimes appears in lists, but charm is more accurately the collective noun for finches.
Smarter Than the Stereotype
A tiding of magpies is a fitting name for a bird tangled up in centuries of folklore, most of which turns out to sell them short. Behind the superstition is a genuinely self-aware, social, and sharp-witted bird.