Alternative names: White-winged Mapgie; White-winged Jay; Black Jay; Black Crested Magpie
- Platysmurus leucopterus
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.
Distribution
From extreme southern Burma to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Uncommon in its range. Extinct in Singapore due habitat loss.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Two subspecies are recognized:
- P. l. leucopterus:
- Southern Burma, peninsula Thailand, Malay Peninsula and Sumatra
- P. l. aterrimus:
Black Magpie is the only species in its genus.
Habitat
Moist lowland forests and mangrove forests up to 200m.
Behaviour
Vocalisation
Call: heh-heh-heh. Very noisy and often first heard before seen.
Diet
Omnivourous. Not much known about precise diet but seen taking caterpillars, beetles and fruits.
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.
References
- 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.
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Black Magpie. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Black_Magpie
