A Territorial Thing

It is true that song among birds is a territorial thing
And most birds are vocal only in early Summer and Spring
When they have a breeding territory to defend
When males of their own kind to them are not a friend
But the Australian magpies are birds that are territorial through the year
Even in the depths of the Winter them one often does hear
Warbling their flute like memorable song
Once seen and once heard you never again get them wrong
In every Australian backyard the black and white magpies are a common sight
And in Spring they are often heard warbling at night
On stick nest lined with grass three brown blotched eggs the female bird lay
Skinks and frogs and small birds and insects are in their source of prey
In their breeding Season they vigorously defend their territory
And they have even been known to attack humans who ventured too close to their nesting tree.