From Opus

Photo by henkdikkers
Nuis, The Netherlands, January 2007

Alternative Name: Common Magpie; Pied Magpie

Pica pica

Includes: Arabian Magpie; Oriental Magpie; Black-rumped Magpie; Kamchatka Magpie; Maghreb Magpie

[edit] Identification

Photo by Florian Andronache
Romania, May 2008

• Black head, neck, breast and back
• Prominent white side patches and belly
• Wings and tail, whilst looking black in certain lights, are actually bluey-green and purple
• Very long tail, diamond-shaped when spread out

[edit] Subspecies Variations

• bottanensis has a black rump, a short tail, a stout bill and only little gloss in plumage
• serica is dark and small and has a short tail
• mauritanica has a large blue patch of bare skin behind the eye
• asirensis is darker, has a black rump, less white in plumage and a short tail

Sexes are similar. Juveniles are duller than adults.

[edit] Distribution

Found in most of Europe, the Middle East, northern Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), Saudi Arabia (Asir massif), central Asia to China, Korea, Japan and east Siberia.
Widespread and common in most of its range.

subspecies bactriana
Photo by Rajiv Lather
Leh, India, October 2006

[edit] Taxonomy

This species was formerly considered conspecific with Black-billed Magpie P. hudsonia.

[edit] Subspecies

About 12 subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• P. p. pica:

• British Isles, southern Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe to Asia Minor

• P. p. fennorum:

• Northern Scandinavia and western Russia

• P. p. galliae:

• Western Europe to Balkans

• P. p. melanotos:

• Iberian Peninsula

• P. p. mauretanica (Maghreb Magpie):

• North-eastern Mauritania to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia

Oriental Magpie, P. p. serica
Photo by anonymous_guy
Lamma Island, Hong Kong

• P. p. asirensis (Arabian Magpie):

• Assir Mountains (south-western Arabia)

• P. p. bactriana:

• Central Russia to northern India and western Tibet

• P. p. hemileucoptera:

• Western and southern Siberia to Outer Mongolia

• P. p. leucoptera:

• Southern Transbaicalia to eastern Mongolia and Altai Mountains

• P. p. camtschatica (Kamchatka Magpie):

• Northern shores of Sea of Okhotsk to Kamchatka Peninsula

• P. p. bottanensis (Black-rumped or Tibetian Magpie):

• Eastern Himalayas to south-eastern Tibet and western China (Qinghai and Xinjiang)

• P. p. serica (alternative spelling sericea (Oriental Magpie):

• Southern China to Myanmar, Indochina, Hainan and Taiwan

This is a thread discussing possible splits from this group of subspecies, with serica and bottanensis the strongest contenders(?).

[edit] Habitat

Farmland and open country. Also town gardens and parks.

[edit] Behaviour

Walks and will hop sideways.

[edit] Flight

Quick, with deep, fast, even wing beats. Short glides.

[edit] Diet

Omnivorous. Feeds mainly on invertebrates, small mammals, lizards, frogs, bird eggs, nestlings and carrion.

[edit] Breeding

Builds a domed nest in tall trees, or hedgerows which often contains shiny objects

[edit] Vocalisation

Harsh "chack, chack, chack".

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
3. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
4. Collins Field Guid 5th Edition
5. 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