Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
The Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) is a common crows, jays, and magpi found in 73 countries, weighing about 217 g. The Eurasian magpie or common magpie is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent.
About the Eurasian Magpie
The Eurasian magpie or common magpie is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) that are designated as magpies, and it belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies. In Europe, the term "magpie" is used by English speakers as a synonym for the Eurasian magpie; the only other species of magpie in Europe is the Iberian magpie, which is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula. Despite sharing a name and similar colouration, they are not closely related to the Australian magpie, which is an artamid.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult male of the nominate subspecies, P. p. pica, is 44–46 cm (17–18 in) in length, more than half of which is the tail. Its wingspan is 52–62 cm (20–24 in). The head, neck, breast and vent are glossy black with a metallic green and violet sheen; the belly and scapulars (shoulder feathers) are pure white; the wings are black glossed with green or purple, and the primaries have white inner webs, conspicuous when the wing is open. The graduated tail is black, glossed with green and reddish purple. The legs and bill are black; the iris is dark brown.
What the Eurasian Magpie sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Morocco, Japan, United States, Singapore.
When to see it
The Eurasian Magpie can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Eurasian Magpie?
- The adult male of the nominate subspecies, P. p. pica, is 44–46 cm (17–18 in) in length, more than half of which is the tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Eurasian Magpie?
- The Eurasian Magpie is a medium sized bird weighing about 217 g.
- Where can you see a Eurasian Magpie?
- The Eurasian Magpie occurs in 73 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Spain and Germany.
- What does a Eurasian Magpie sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Eurasian Magpie on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Eurasian Magpie?
- The Eurasian Magpie is most easily confused with the Black-billed Magpie, the Oriental Magpie and the Maghreb Magpie.
Learn the Eurasian Magpie for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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