Red-billed blue magpie

Description

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). The head, neck, and breast are black with a bluish spotting on the crown. The shoulders and rump are a duller blue, and the underparts are a greyish cream. The long tail is a brighter blue (as are the wing primaries) with a broad, white tip. The bill is a bright orange-red, as are the legs and feet and a ring around each eye. This red can vary across its range to almost yellow in some birds. The red-billed blue magpie occurs in a broad swath from the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and further eastwards. It ranges from the western Himalayas eastwards into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and through central and eastern China to southwest Manchuria, in evergreen forest and scrub in predominantly hilly or mountainous country. It has adapted to urban habitat, and can be seen in large cities in China such as Beijing and Hong Kong. They nest in trees and large shrubs in a relatively shallow nest. Usually, three to five eggs are laid. Food is sought both in trees and on the ground. It takes the usual wide range of food, such as invertebrates, other small animals, and fruit and some seeds. It robs nests of eggs and also chicks. Vocal mimicry is very apparent in this species, and its calls are very varied, but the most usual are a grating rattle and a high-pitched whistle somewhat like a flute. Urocissa is a genus of birds in the Corvidae, a family that contains the crows, jays, and magpies. The genus was established by German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1850. The type species was subsequently designated as the red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha). The name Urocissa combines the Ancient Greek oura meaning "tail" and kissa meaning "magpie".