Magpies. Black and white birds that feature in a lot of stories. There are also a number of superstitions surrounding magpies (especially in the British Isles) related to warding off the bad luck of a lone magpie. Some superstitions are quick and only require a simple salute while others a bit more eccentric involving pinching, spitting or saying certain phrases. Magpies are members of the corvid family and relatives of Ravens and Crows, both in Real Life and as tropes. (The rhyme (in all its manifold variations) is also used for crows, on occasion.)