In southern Europe, great spotted cuckoos lay their eggs in magpie nests, and reduce the magpies' breeding success. It takes a pair of magpies around 40 days to build their large, domed nest. A typical magpie clutch is six eggs. Only the female magpie incubates the eggs - it takes 24 days for them to hatch. Young magpies leave the nest around 27 days after hatching.
Magpies are omnivorous, eating a wide variety of food, ranging from grain and fruit to carrion.
Magpies have been recorded catching and killing frogs, lizards, snakes, bats, mice, voles and even rabbits, as well as small birds. Magpies will cache surplus food during times of plenty.