Which bird is known for its habit of stealing shiny objects?

The Eurasian magpie is the bird popularly associated with stealing shiny objects.

This reputation is especially strong in European folklore, where magpies became symbols of curiosity, thievery and mischief. Gioachino Rossini’s 1817 opera La gazza ladra, commonly translated as The Thieving Magpie, helped cement the image in popular culture. Stories often claim that magpies collect coins, jewelry or other reflective treasures for their nests.

The scientific picture is more nuanced. A 2014 study from the University of Exeter presented Eurasian magpies with shiny objects including metal screws, foil rings and aluminum foil. The birds were cautious around the unfamiliar items and showed no preference for shiny objects over dull ones. Magpies are intelligent, curious corvids and may investigate or carry unusual materials, but “shiny-object thief” is chiefly a cultural stereotype rather than a well-established habit.

The Eurasian magpie is also notable for complex social behavior, food caching and exceptional cognition. It is therefore easy to confuse its real cleverness with the colorful legend attached to it.