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Is This Bird A Magpie? (1 Viewer)

F

Farrington House

Member
Hi,
Can anybody help me identify a pair of birds in my garden. Is there such a bird as a Magpie with a peachy/salmon coloured body? A pair of birds has just started coming into our garden. They are both totally back except for the breast, one has stronger colourings than the other (which I expect is the male). We have seen them twice now but have not been quick enough to get a photo. They don't appear to get on with the other Magpies and constantly appear to be having a stand off with several other groups normal looking Magpies. They look just like a Magpie but with a peachy/salmon coloured breast and totally black tail feathers (no white at all).
 
No they are not Jays. I am familiar with the Jay and this definitely isn't one. It is identical to a Magpie. I do own several good bird books but can't find anything, I have also tried to research it on the internet but can't find anything.
 
If they are as like a magpie as you say, they probably are magpies. The breast colouration could have come from somewhere that they have been feeding or bathing
 
Apodemus said:
If they are as like a magpie as you say, they probably are magpies. The breast colouration could have come from somewhere that they have been feeding or bathing
Click to expand...
Got to agree here - there's nothing quite like a magpie and you obviously know the related and similar species from your previous post. Would be tremendous if you could get a piccy?! ;)
(unless you've found a couple of pretty large rose-coloured starlings ;) )
 
Hi Helen,

Your bird is a stained Magpie

Mark

Oh, If you want to see the pic click on Farrington House and users gallery...link doesn't work
 
Last edited:
They've probably both got stained as a result of an unusual nesting or feeding site, I saw quite a few ash grey ones recently in China which can only be attributed to coal fired pollution. Could be brick dust, industrial dye....anyones guess, Magpies do seem to get everywhere!

Mark
 
Actually your first pic had me thinking "Why have you posted this, when it's obviously a magpie?" - but to have TWO pink magpies must have seemed extremely strange (as, indeed, it is). Now with them both together, I can see exactly what you were thinking. Great pics!
My guess is - you live in West Yorkshire where there are still a lot of 'ochre dykes' - (derelict pit-water run-offs) and also some of the settling ponds are similarly discoloured. Your birds may use these as regular bathing sites and have accumulated the pigment over a period of time.
What do you think?
Edit - there's a site at Darrington (?) which I did some work at a few years ago - are you anywhere near there?
 
I am no twitcher by any stretch of the imagination but have a great love of birds and wildlife in general. As a family we try to spot as many different species of wildlife as possible - so this ranks pretty high. I'm not sure what to think - but I don't think it is stained, purely because one of the birds has a stronger colouration than the other, which is probably the male as with bridlife in general. I'm not sure about ochre-dykes and settling ponds in the area - that is something I will have to look into. Although, Darrington, Pontefract is only 10-15 mins by car - so could be a strong possibility. I have two daughters 8 & 10 who love looking for and investigating wildlife - so this weekend is dedicated to locating where their nest, is if they have one.... only when we see their young will we really know whether or not they are born "Pink".

Helen
P.S. We absolutely love the Highlands - I saw my first otter last year .. can't blame you for going to live up there
 
Here's the article I found in the RSPB 'Birds' magazine Winter 2001;

"Pink Pies

When my friend reported 'pink magpies' I thought they might be bullfinches, until the local curate, postman and others saw them and eventually I came across two myself. The areas normally white on a magpie were strongly pink. I have since heard of another that is 'more rusty, less pink'. I am told that a condition called 'erythrism' produces an abnormal amount of red pigment in birds' feathers, but it is rare. Mary Duffty, Leeds"

The Eds noted;

"Mrs Duffty sent photographs to illustrate her point (too small to reproduce well, but clear enough): and we heard of other 'pink magpies' in south-west England, too this summer. This has been recorded and documented before but is certainly a very rare occurrence."
 
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