Magpie

Magpie

Magpie (skata) or blackbird (koltrast)?

Blackbird

Sweden has yet to decide the new national bird but they are both a contender.  The magpie, despite the blackbird's beautiful song, gets my vote.  Just love their sassy attitude.  When we lived in Ljunghusen, in Southern Sweden, you'd often find them ambling down the road, just moseying along and not at all worried when a car came along.  Or maybe just our car -- we had an old red jalopy at that point so given the size of the bird and the relative size of the little car, I guess they just weren't concerned.

Mapies are reputed to be thieves stealing things that are shiny and stashing them away. I mean a girls gotta have her bling! Another reason to vote for the "skata" (Swedish word for magpie) is the Latin name which is "pica pica".  Isn't it cute?  So I guess it's time to vote: check out the contenders and cast your vote here - Vote Skata for Swedish National Bird (unfair influencing?  Who me?)  Tee, hee.