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The "coyote-of-the-sky" as we call them, is the world over a revierd and special bird. Along with the raven, and the eagle, it is one of the most powerful of all birds, without the magpie I wonder if there would be life. . . No magpie would be like no ants, the system would fall apart. . .

Here are just a few of the reason the magpie is so special.

Magpie: “one of those clever birds that has shamanic qualities”
Minnehaha, the daughter of a Blackfoot tribe hunter, said to the buffalo herd, “Oh, if you would only come over the cliff, I would marry one of you.” She was surprised that they responded and tumbled over the cliff to provide food for her people. But she was carried away by the elder buffalo to be his bride. Her father searched for her and was stampeded to death. Minnehaha cried and asked the magpie to find a piece of her father's bones. The magpie found one, and Minnehaha chanted a song that brought her father to life. The buffalo chief said, if you teach that song of restoration to us, we'll sacrifice ourselves to feed your people. Then they taught her their sacred Buffalo Dance.
— Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth (1988), pp. 75-78

Magpie Symbolism
Chinese: The "Bird of Joy"; good fortune. A chattering magpie signifies good news, the arrival of guests. Under the Manchu dynasty it also represented imperial rule. Christian: The Devil; dissipation; vanity. — J. C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (1978), p. 102

Korean Magpie: Good News
Koreans believed that magpies delivered good news and invited good people. The most famous painting related to a magpie is the one with striped tiger (ggach'i wha horangi minhwa): the magpie is happily chirping to a tiger. The magpie represented good news and the tiger symbolized good luck, since its pronunciation in Chinese sounds similar to good luck (bok).
(Korean Symbolism of Animals & Birds)

The Magpie: From early ages, the magpie has been known as the lucky bird which delivers good news. The magpie inhabits Mountain Acha and Children's Grand Park but can be spotted anywhere. This intimate bird represents the bright future of Gwangjin-gu. (from Gwangjin-Gu district, Korea)

Magpie, a Symbol of Happiness
Magpie is a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture. The singing of a magpie foretells happiness and good luck. That's why it is called 'Happy Magpie' by Chinese people. The Manchu minority in Northeast China even regards magpies as sacred birds. Legends concerning magpies are found in the historical records about Manzhu. (By Ye Qinfa, China Online)

Magpie: Pica Pica This black and white, black-billed, long-tailed Jay is the only member of its family to live in both hemispheres. It has long been known as a thief. Generally, this bird has bad thoughts attached to it and it was the symbol of garrulity. It was sacred to Bacchus, the God of wine, so it became associated with intoxication. (from Rutledge Books, Inc., subsidy publishing)

Louis Agassiz Fuertes: Magpie, Black-billed
(Fuertes Illustration Collection, Cornell University Library Rare & Manuscript Collections)

* The Magpie and The Bell
(Korean folktale of heroism and retribution, Dr. Jason N. Joh's Korean Folktales)

* The Origins of the Buffalo Dance (similar to PBS story Joseph Campbell told to Bill Moyers)
(Powerful Symbols: Honoring the Animal Spirits, Native American Art & Education Center)

* Magpie pays for bread it eats
(News from London, Sydney Morning Herald, August 4, 2000)

Claude Monet. The Magpie. c.1868-1869. Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France (Olga's Gallery) [PYC Note: I recall Charlie Rose asking Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, what is his favorite painting. Montebello walked Rose to Monet's Magpie and commented “It's a small painting (35" x 51"), but look at the snow, it's so perfect and peaceful.” Perhaps this Monet painting was on loan to the Met during their Impressionist Exhibit in 1994.]

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