| Maghreb magpie | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| InSouss-Massa,Morocco | |
_Magpie%2c_Morocco.jpg) | |
| Marrakech,Morocco | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Pica |
| Species: | P. mauritanica |
| Binomial name | |
| Pica mauritanica Malherbe, 1845 | |
 | |
| Range ofP. mauritanica Resident | |
TheMaghreb magpie (Pica mauritanica) is a species ofmagpie found inNorth Africa fromMorocco east toTunisia.[1] It can be distinguished from theEurasian magpie by the patch of blue skin behind its eye, the narrower white belly, the shorter wings, and the longer tail.[2]
Amolecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the Maghreb magpie wassister to aclade containing all the other members of the genusPica.[3]
In recent years, the population of Maghreb magpie in Tunisia has been experiencing a decline. Research has shown that the cause of this is nest failure, mainly due to the depredation of nestlings by thesouthern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis).[4]
