| Azure-winged magpie | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Cyanopica |
| Species: | C. cyanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyanopica cyanus (Pallas, 1776) | |
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| Synonyms | |
Cyanopica cyana | |
Theazure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) is abird in thecrow family. It is 31–35 cm long and similar in overall shape to theEurasian magpie (Pica pica) but is more slender with proportionately smaller legs andbill. It belongs to the genusCyanopica.
It has a glossy black top to the head and a white throat. The underparts and the back are a light grey-fawn in colour with the wings and thefeathers of the long (16–20 cm) tail an azure blue. It inhabits various types ofconiferous (mainlypine) andbroadleaf forest, including parks and gardens in the eastern populations.
It occurs over a large region ofeastern Asia inChina,Korea,Japan, and north intoMongolia and southernSiberia. TheIberian magpie from southwestern and central parts of theIberian Peninsula, inSpain andPortugal was formerly thought to be conspecific, but recent genetic analysis has shown them to be distinct at species level,[2][3] the white-tipped tail being a prominent indicator.
Often azure-winged magpies find food as a family group or several groups making flocks of up to 70 birds. The largest groups congregate after the breeding season and throughout the winter months. Their diet consists mainly ofacorns (oak seeds) andpine nuts, extensively supplemented byinvertebrates and their larvae, softfruits and berries, and also human-provided scraps in parks and towns.
This species usually nests in loose, open colonies with asingle nest in eachtree. There are usually 6–8eggs that are incubated for 15 days. Azure-winged magpies that have asynchronous broods, creating a size hierarchy among nestlings, produce more eggs and fledge more nestlings than those which have synchronous broods.[4]
Thevoice is a quick fired and metallic soundingkwink-kwink-kwink usually preceded by a singlekrarrah.
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| Other | |
