Taiwan Blue Magpie
Urocissa caerulea
The Taiwan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea) is a uncommon crows, jays, and magpi found only in Taiwan, weighing about 257 g. The Taiwan blue magpie, also called the Taiwan magpie, Formosan blue magpie, or the "long-tailed mountain lady", is a bird species in the crow family.
About the Taiwan Blue Magpie
The Taiwan blue magpie, also called the Taiwan magpie, Formosan blue magpie, or the "long-tailed mountain lady", is a bird species in the crow family. It is endemic to Taiwan.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
It is 63–68 cm (25–27 in) in length. The tail measures around 34–42 cm (13–17 in) in length, and the wings are 20 cm (7.9 in) long. It weighs 254–260 g (9.0–9.2 oz). The plumages of the male and female are similar. The head, neck and breast are black. The eyes are yellow, and the bill and feet are red. The rest of the plumage is mostly blue. The wings and tail feathers have white tips. The underwing-coverts are dark grey, and the flight feathers are light grey. The uppertail-coverts have black tips. The central pair of tail feathers are the longest. The other tail feathers have black bands.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Taiwan Blue Magpie?
- It is 63–68 cm (25–27 in) in length. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Taiwan Blue Magpie?
- The Taiwan Blue Magpie is a medium sized bird weighing about 257 g.
- Where can you see a Taiwan Blue Magpie?
- The Taiwan Blue Magpie is endemic to Taiwan, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Taiwan Blue Magpie?
- The Taiwan Blue Magpie is most easily confused with the Red-billed Blue Magpie, the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie and the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
- Is the Taiwan Blue Magpie endangered?
- The Taiwan Blue Magpie is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Taiwan Blue Magpie for real
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