Red-billed Blue Magpie
Urocissa erythroryncha
The Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha) is a uncommon crows, jays, and magpi found in 13 countries, weighing about 152 g. The red-billed blue magpie is a species of bird (magpie) in the crow family, Corvidae.
About the Red-billed Blue Magpie
The red-billed blue magpie is a species of bird (magpie) 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).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The head, neck, and breast are black with a bluish spotting on the crown. The shoulders and rump are a duller violet-blue, and the underparts are a greyish cream. The long tail is a brighter violet-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.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Arab Emirates.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-billed Blue Magpie?
- The head, neck, and breast are black with a bluish spotting on the crown. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-billed Blue Magpie?
- The Red-billed Blue Magpie is a medium sized bird weighing about 152 g.
- Where can you see a Red-billed Blue Magpie?
- The Red-billed Blue Magpie occurs in 13 countries, including India, Hong Kong SAR China, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia.
- What birds look similar to a Red-billed Blue Magpie?
- The Red-billed Blue Magpie is most easily confused with the Taiwan Blue Magpie, the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie and the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
- Is the Red-billed Blue Magpie endangered?
- The Red-billed Blue Magpie is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-billed Blue Magpie for real
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