From Opus

Nominate subspecies
Photo by wengchun
Taman Rimba Ampang, KL, Malaysia

Alternative names: White-winged Mapgie; White-winged Jay; Black Jay; Black Crested Magpie

Platysmurus leucopterus

[edit] Identification

39 - 41cm. A rather heavy build black "jay":

• Black plumage with green sheen
• Large white wing patch (lacks in aterrimus)
• Red eye
• Black, short and stout bill
• Stiff crest on each side of forehead (more pronounced in aterrimus)
• Black legs

Sexes similar. Juveniles are duller than adults and more greyish or brownish.

[edit] Distribution

From extreme southern Burma to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Uncommon in its range. Extinct in Singapore due habitat loss.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

Two subspecies are recognized:

• P. l. leucopterus:

• Southern Burma, peninsula Thailand, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra

• P. l. aterrimus:

• Borneo

Black Magpie is the only species in its genus.

[edit] Habitat

Moist lowland forests and mangrove forests up to 200m.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: heh-heh-heh. Very noisy and often first heard before seen.

[edit] Diet

Omnivourous. Not much known about precise diet but seen taking caterpillars, beetles and fruits.

[edit] Breeding

Breeding season from December to May in the Malay Peninsula, eggs recorded in June on Borneo. Solitary breeder. The nest is a large platform made of twigs. It's placed 1 - 8m above the ground inside shrubby cover or in a low tree. Lays 2 - 3 eggs.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507

• List of references

[edit] External Links