One for sorrow, two for joy

Originally posted by David
I saw a magpie yesterday at a BBQ and had the rhyme explained to me.

Magpies are partners for life and will never find another mate if they lose their first partner, so if you see one alone, its because the partner is dead , hence "One for sorrow"
Two for joy means they're a happy couple...etc.

More rightly is the reason that they are gregarious. The blacked-backed magpie, pictured in NC post (the other type being the white-backed magpie) from southeast Australia live in groups of five differing but intergrading types. Successful breeding occurs in permanent groups. These consist of two to ten birds (rearly more than three breeders)which jointly defend a territory. At the other extreme are the flock birds that do not breed or defend territory.The three intermediate groups consist of adults which keep together and hold, or attempt to hold a territory. Marginal birds may try to breed, but are rarely successful. You may be right about them paring for life but I have not seen any evidence to substantiate this.