Do you salute magpies or feel a twinge of unease when one crosses your path, fearing it might bring bad luck? If so, you’re not alone. Even the most rational sceptics can sometimes feel their beliefs waver at the sight of a magpie.
In Britain, no other wild bird is so steeped in superstition as the magpie. For centuries, folklore surrounding magpies has flourished across the UK and Europe. During the Victorian era, such fear of the bird grew that it was nearly hunted to extinction.
However, before the spread of Christianity, magpies were seen very differently, often as symbols of good fortune and intelligence. The Romans admired the magpie for its cleverness and reasoning skills, while in Ancient Greece, magpies were sacred to Bacchus, the god of wine.
Farther afield, some Native American tribes viewed magpies as symbols of fearlessness, wearing their feathers as signs of bravery. Others believed the magpie to be a sacred messenger from the creator or a guardian with shamanic powers.
The Christian Church, however, cast the magpie in a far darker light. According to Church teachings, the magpie was the only bird that failed to weep or mourn during Jesus’ crucifixion, supposedly because of its black-and-white plumage. This led to many superstitions linking magpies to bad luck or evil.
In the 19th century, a vicar recorded one of his servants claiming that the magpie refused to enter Noah’s Ark, choosing instead to sit outside in the rain, chattering and swearing. Another story from the same period describes the magpie as a hybrid of the raven and the dove, making it the only bird not to have been baptised.
The Church also popularised the rumour that magpies carry a drop of the devil’s blood in their tongues. Supposedly, if their tongues were cut to release the blood, magpies would gain the ability to speak like humans.
But how did magpies, once revered in some cultures, come to be seen as harbingers of bad luck?
Much of this stems from the way our ancestors tried to make sense of the world around them. Without modern science to explain natural events, people often attributed mysterious occurrences to supernatural causes. The appearance of an animal, a change in the weather, an other natural phenomena were frequently linked to significant events that followed, especially those that couldn’t otherwise be explained.
Death was particularly challenging to predict or understand, and it naturally inspired fear of the unknown. This fear gave rise to many superstitions and old wives’ tales surrounding the subject. Magpies, with their behaviour and habits, naturally found themselves entwined in such beliefs.
Like other corvids, magpies have long been associated with death. During medieval times, they were often seen scavenging near battlefields, gallows, and field hospitals, where they fed on carrion. Their predatory behaviour during breeding season, such as raiding nests for eggs and chicks, also made them unpopular with gamekeepers and rural communities, particularly as they preyed on pheasants and other birds of value.
Magpies’ inquisitive and mischievous nature earned them another unwanted label: thieves. Known for their attraction to shiny objects, they were often blamed for missing jewellery or other valuables. If a treasured ring went missing, it was easy to shift the blame to a magpie.
This reputation for theft became so entrenched that it inspired cultural works like Rossini’s tragicomic opera La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie). In the story, a French girl is falsely accused of theft, convicted, and executed, only for the true culprit, a magpie, to be discovered later. The remorseful townspeople then hold an annual Mass of the Magpies to pray for the girl’s soul.
Over time, magpies’ reputation as “bad birds” evolved into the belief that they bring bad luck. However, as the famous nursery rhyme suggests, this superstition largely revolves around seeing a single magpie.
Magpies are known to mate for life, so encountering a lone magpie might suggest it has lost its mate, which could symbolise sorrow or misfortune. On the other hand, spotting a group of magpies is believed to bring good luck, joy, or even wealth, as the well known rhyme illustrates:
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be tol
The rhyme encapsulates the dual nature of magpie superstitions: while a single bird may bring sorrow, more magpies suggest prosperity or happiness. These beliefs likely endure because they offer a way to interpret and find meaning in chance encounters, even if modern science tells us there’s no basis for such fears.
If you spot a lone magpie and fear it might bring bad luck, there are several things you can do to ward off misfortune:
Salute the magpie.
Say, “Good morning, General” or “Good morning, Captain.”
Greet it with, “Good morning, Mr Magpie, how is your lady wife today?”
Say, “Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the little magpies?”
Address it as “Jack”, saying, “Hello Jack, how’s your brother?”
Doff your hat as a sign of respect.
Spit three times over your shoulder.
Blink rapidly to convince yourself you’ve seen two magpies instead of one.
Flap your arms like wings and mimic a magpie’s call to symbolically provide it with a mate.
The belief that a solitary magpie brings bad luck is widespread in the UK and Ireland, but some regions have their own specific superstitions.
Scotland: A single magpie near a house window signals an impending death.
Wales: Seeing a magpie crossing your path from right to left before a journey predicts danger on the road.
Ireland: Magpies are thought to represent the souls of gossiping or malicious women.
Yorkshire: Magpies are linked to witchcraft, and making the sign of the cross is said to ward off their evil influence.
Somerset: Carrying an onion offers protection from a magpie’s bad luck.
Northampton: A group of three magpies together predicts a fire.
Devon: A fisherman who sees a magpie in the morning will catch no fish that day.
Sussex: Unlike elsewhere, a magpie on the roof is considered a good omen, ensuring the house is safe from harm.
Outside the UK, magpies are often seen in a more positive light.
China: A singing magpie symbolises happiness, good fortune, and luck.
Korea: Magpies bring good news and attract good people into your life.
Mongolia: Magpies are believed to control the weather and are seen as highly intelligent.
France: Evil nuns are thought to be reincarnated as magpies.
Scandinavia: In Norse mythology, magpies are associated with Skadi, the goddess of winter. In Norway, they are considered cunning and are linked to the huldra, the mysterious underground people.
Science has confirmed that the Romans were right, and magpies are incredibly intelligent, with a brain-to-body ratio comparable to great apes. These remarkable birds can use tools, solve problems, work in teams, play games, and even mimic human speech.
So, the next time you see a magpie, offer it your best salute, not out of fear of bad luck, but out of respect for one of nature’s smartest creatures.
What do you do when you see a magpie? Let us know in the comments below.
109 Responses
I seen 1 magpie at my window which is apparently is meant to mean sorrow or death and since then my gran has become sicker I then saw two magpies a few days later and for the past three days after seeing those two magpies I’ve had bad luck things have been going wrong for me
Personally I adore all corvids, but the magpie, specifically the black billed magpie, is my absolute favorite bird in existence. Whenever I see any number of them (whether 1 or 7+) my heart fills with happiness and I end up having the silliest grin on my face for quite a while afterwards. Hearing their song has the same wonderful effect. ♡
Magpies may be intelligent, yes, but they are also so very cruel. I recall seeing a puffed-up fluffy young pigeon ‘innocently’ in the garden on the grass near some magpies. It slowly walked up to one that immediately decapitated it. The baby pigeon, as big as them, did absolutely nothing wrong, other than being alone, lost, abandoned, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and sought ‘companionship’ with other birds that happened to be magpies. I’ll never forget that, because it was so unnecessary.
I have also seen them chase and attack an owl. I tried to flap my arms in an hysterical way to scare them off but it slowed them a bit but they kept after it .
I’ve just seen about 20 magpies walking together it looks like a magpie rave, hope these birds have a good day!!!!
Theres a breeding pair outside my window and I feed them…apart from giving my cat a nasty peck and costing a bit at the vets they’ve never done me any harm…I’ve always believed them to be lucky birds and quite faxinating. Its nice to see their chick’s grow and fledge.
Hi. I watch 2 or 3 magpies on the roofs opposite my house most days. I think they are gorgeous looking birds. I do feel a sense of anxiety if I only see one (which is rare). They don’t do any harm and always seem content. Reading some of your comments has helped me understand this lovely bird.
We see lots of magpies every morning on the way to work and I always sing the magpie song. I think they nice looking birds. I have never been superstitious about any birds.
This morning I found a dead magpie in the centre of my mums garden. My mum is 90!!!!!
I can’t remember where I got it from, but to cancel the bad luck associated with seeing a lone magpie I point the horns of the devil at it (fore finger and pinkie) and say ‘Devil, devil, I defy thee!’. It always seemed more spirited than placatory and forelock pulling.
Be it said, I love magpies! I love that they love each other and they hold funerals for dead friends and relatives. It is very touching. And their intelligence and sense of humour is so attractive.
Yesterday I heard a lot of painful cawing and fluttering coming from a small glade next to my house I opened the door to see a large magpie attacking a slimmer one, I waved my arms and called out to stop the larger, this was successful he/ she flew off but to my surprise the slimmer one flew in my house. After sitting on the kitchen counter then flying to the dinning room window and settling before it pecking I decided it wanted to leave. Unsuccessful in gentle clasping it to free it, it flew to the living room and settled on a large piece of stained glass by the window. I sat opposite and just waited, talked to it softly he faced me. I walked over slowly talking and gently picked him up and put him outside. Within 15mins the pitiful cawing and cries returned I opened my window, back he came and sat on the stained glass. I did nothing. About 20 minutes later after walking up and down he flew past me and went out the window. A while later I heard it in the distance, such painful screeching. Next day I found a dead magpie on the pavement, so sad. I took my dog over the fields and found yet another dead. Is this I wonder because they pair for life, the older males fight off the younger males? An unusual twist is that I rung my daughter when the magpie was in the house the second time and she said , ‘ that is creepy mum I am reading a book right now
about this boy who found a magpie when young and he revisits with gifts’
Something similar happened to me once. I was in bed asleep one morning and was awoken because I could hear tapping on my window. It didn’t stop so I had to investigate. I pulled back the curtain to see a magpie hanging upside down tapping at the top of my window. It didn’t appear to be catching nor eating insects. It observed and looked at me, and continued for a few more moments before flying off!
Woah, so the Magpie bit the pidgeons’ head off? Like with its beak? If so, that’s crazy! And they can be very territorial!
I absolutely love the magpie but i am instantly filled with dread when i see just one. I recently had a miscarriage and there is just one magpie that sits on my wall? it was there just before my miscarriage and continues to sit there still. Maybe i should offer it something shiny it might bring its wife?
Woken by tapping on the mezzanine windows. Looked to see not one but two magpies, one on each sill. Beautiful birds, their smart black-and-white jackets set off by a slate-blue sheen on their backs. Felt very fortunate that they stayed, hopping and tapping, for another minute before flying away. I guess they were feeding on insects?
Hi ,
In Ireland we spit and touch green if we see a lone magpie, to get rid of the bad luck .
7.20 pm Monday June 1st looking out of my bedroom window,I have just counted 20 Magpies sitting on the roof & chimney pot of the house across the road . What an amazing sight.
June Farnborough , Hants
Hi there,
So I saw 3 magpies this morning but not at the same time, I would say 1 hour between them. Does this mean I’ll have 3 sorrows ??? Thank you x
I kept seeing 1 Magpie throughout my pregnancy and my mother in law died 2 days after I gave birth. I also saw 3 when I was expecting a baby girl
Me too! I love their comical walk, and seeing them at their mass meetings in the Spring.
The full rhyme was 1 for sorrow,2 for mirth,3 for a wedding,4 for a birth,5 for silver,6 for gold,7 for a secret never to be told,8 for heaven,9 for hell,10 for the devils own cell! Personally I use to fear one on its own would bring bad luck however now I realise that it’s mate is usually guarding its nest,whils mate hunting etc,whatever ya thoughts they are beautiful looking bird!
Every time I have encountered a Maggie I have unfortunately learned of a death of a close relative. This morning a magpie flew into our conservatory and tried to come into the house it has filled me with dread as my husband has not been well help???
I think Magpies are lovely birds – I dont believe in supersition – rather that I ‘ve got eyes to see these beautiful bird . People should believe their eyes andnot listen to daft rumours !! I often have a mass of them when the young ones arrive – sometimes as many as 20 !!
Reading into the history of Magpies and the church rather indicates that the church strove to destroy a belief from a previous religion and mendaciously created a story . Rather like Mary of Magda being a prostitute
Someone once left 13 dead magpies in a bag on the bonnet of my car.
Does anyone know the significance of this
I would think with 13 being unlucky and 13 single magpies with a single denomination meaning bad luck, you had upset somebody with strong superstitions.
Find out who it was and hire a hitman to end them.
The significance of there being 13 or the significance of them being dead?
My grandmother taught me a different version;
One for sorrow
Two for mirth
Three for a letter
Four for a birth
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told…
A lot of human beings are nasty idiots, this is just evidence of one more, mourn the poor innocent magpies and forget the idiot.
I have been seeing a single magpie recently a lot and because of the superstition linked to it I always salute the one I see alone but then often I will see two or more interesting to read others views on it
I met one magpie, two Robins and a orange black butterfly plus a white butterfly. All in one day. Just going through a break up after 7 years I really don’t want anymore bad luck,
I love to see !afford whether three or one i am Irish and I never could understand why an ? magpie or robin could cause bad luck
I always greet magpies “good morning/afternoon Mr Magpie, I hope you and yours are well?”. Passed on from my mum, respect rather than superstition.
I have a nest of magpies living in the trees in my garden.i love them there colour and inquisitiveness. Some times there are 5 or more flying around. Had no problem with them so far. Nature’s is always welcome In my garden.
At last , a voice of reason , we think they are great . A British Parrot with lovely colours !