Familiar Aussies Poem by Francis Duggan

They build cup shaped mud nest on fork of branch of tree
The birds known as mudlark or magpie lark or to some as pee wee
I know them by their song everyday them i do see
Birds familiar to many and familiar to me

Dainty black and white birds smaller than a magpie
If i said i knew a lot about them i'd be telling a lie
Of birds and their ways so much to learn and know
Though my wonder of them only does seem to grow

Of human kind the pee wees display litte fear
They only fly off when to them you come very near
Often seen in the parks or the sidewalks of the town
To be different from all others their claim to renown

Familiar Australians i do see every day
About them they do have a beautiful way
Magpie lark, mudlark or pee wee names they are known by
To far away places they never do fly

Not much variation in their brief song
Pee wee pee wee they do sing all day long
Black and white dainty beauties with a charm of their own
To every Australian they are quite well known.