The red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha) is a species of bird in the crow family, Corvidae. It is about the same size as the Eurasian magpie, but has a much longer tail, one of the longest of any corvid. It is 65–68 cm (25.5–27 in) long and weighs 196–232 g (6.9–8.2 oz).
What does Red-billed blue magpie look like?
The red-billed blue magpie is a beautiful bird with similar plumage in both sexes. The forehead, the top of the head to the back of the neck, the side of the head, the side of the neck, the chin, the throat and the upper chest are all black, and the feathers from the top to the back of the neck have white, blue-white or purple-gray feather tips, and the spots on the tips become more and more from the top of the head to the back. The more enlarged, forming a large plaque from the top of the head to the nape of the neck, and sometimes even to the center of the upper back. The back, shoulders, and waist are purple-blue-gray or gray-blue-stained brown, and the tail coverts are lavender-blue or light blue-gray, with black end spots and white secondary end spots. The tail is long and convex. The central tail feathers are blue-gray with white terminal spots, and the rest of the tail feathers are purple-blue or blue-gray, with white terminal spots and black secondary terminal spots. The two wings are dark brown, the base of the primary flight feathers is purple-blue, and the end is white. The inner and outer rings of the secondary flight feathers have white end spots, and the outer feathers are purple-blue. The throat and chest of the lower body are black, and the rest of the lower body is white, sometimes stained blue or yellow. Iris orange, mouth and feet red.
The plumage color of male and female birds is similar. The back of the body is blue-purple; the tail feathers are long, especially the two central ones are more prominent, and the tail is white, with a red beak and red feet.
Red-billed blue magpie habitat
It mainly inhabits various types of forests such as evergreen broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and secondary forests in mountainous areas. The altitude ranges from plains at the foot of the mountain, low mountains and hills to plateaus and mountains around 3,500 meters.
Red-billed blue magpie living habit
The red-billed blue magpie likes to live in groups, often in pairs or in small groups of 3-5 or more than 10. Lively and noisy, it often jumps up and down between branches or flies between trees. When flying, it usually assumes a gliding posture, sliding from uphill to downhill, from tree to tree, or from a tree to a tree. Another tree, jump forward. When gliding, the two wings are stretched out, and the tail feathers are unfolded. Sometimes after a burst of gliding, it flies with flapping wings, especially when it is frightened, it often struggles to flap its wings and flee to the mountains.
The red-billed blue magpie is a close relative of the crow family. They all have meat and vegetable compatible food habits. They mainly feed on animal food such as insects. They also eat plant fruits, seeds, and crops such as corn and wheat. Their food habits are relatively mixed. Common types of animal food are click beetles, scarabs, locusts, grasshoppers, flies, katydids, crickets, beetles, Lepidoptera larvae and other insects, also eat spiders, snails, worms, fireflies, frogs, lizards, chicks, Bird eggs and other small invertebrates and vertebrates. Plant food is mainly fruits and seeds of various trees and shrubs, and occasionally wheat, corn and other crops.
Sometimes it will aggressively invade the nests of other birds, attacking cannibalized chicks and eggs. From March to May every year is the breeding season of Red-billed blue magpie. During this period, the parent birds are very protective of the nest and have a very fierce temperament. If people approach their nest area, they will keep singing and dancing, and even attack the human body.
Distribution area of Red-billed blue magpie
Distributed in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.
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