Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Azure-winged Magpie is an East Asian bird with a black cap, pale-blue wings, and a long pale-blue tail. It lives in family groups and has no established wild population in the United States. The similar Iberian Magpie (Cyanopica cooki) of Spain and Portugal is a separate species.

Appearance

Appearance: About 12–14 in (31–35 cm) long, including a long tail of about 6–8 in (16–20 cm). It has a glossy black cap, white throat, pale gray-fawn body, and azure-blue wings and tail.

Look-alikes

Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia

This wild magpie of the western U.S. is larger and boldly black and white, with white wing patches. The azure-winged magpie has a pale gray body and powder-blue wings and tail.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: open woodland
bamboo groves
towns and villages
Range: Native to East Asia, including Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, and southern Siberia. It has no established wild U.S. population; the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, Virginia, keeps this species.
Seasonal presence: Across its East Asian range, it stays in the same area year-round.

Behavior

Diet: Eats insects, fruit, seeds, and nuts in its East Asian range.
Social life: Often travels in family groups.

Name and classification

About the name: The Iberian magpie was once included in this species. The Korean and Japanese populations have also been named koreensis and japonica, respectively. It is also called the Asian Azure-winged Magpie.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction