Cyanopica cyanus
The Azure-winged Magpie, scientifically known as *Cyanopica cyanus*, is a striking member of the crow family (Corvidae) renowned for its vibrant plumage and social nature. Measuring approximately 31-35 cm in length with a wingspan of 38-42 cm and weighing 65-75 grams, it presents a slender profile. Its most distinctive field marks include bright azure-blue wings and a long, graduated tail of the same hue, contrasting sharply with a glossy black cap extending to the nape and a clean greyish-fa...
Found primarily in open woodlands, mixed coniferous and deciduous forests, parks, and gardens, often in areas with scattered trees and clearings. It thrives in lowlands and foothills, generally below 1000 meters elevation.
Omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of items including insects, larvae, spiders, fruits, berries, seeds, acorns, nuts, small vertebrates, bird eggs, and carrion. They forage primarily by gleaning from trees and probing on the ground.
Azure-winged Magpies are highly social, diurnal birds often observed in large, cohesive flocks, especially outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the hundreds. Their foraging strategy is omnivorous and opportunistic; they glean insects and fruits from foliage, probe bark, and forage ...
The Azure-winged Magpie (*Cyanopica cyanus*) boasts a widespread breeding and resident range across East Asia. Its distribution spans from the Amur region of Siberia, extending south through Mongolia, vast swathes of China (including Manchuria, Beijing, and across central and eastern provinces), ...
Least Concern
- The Azure-winged Magpie exhibits one of the most remarkable disjunct distributions among birds, with a massive geographical gap separating its East Asian population from the Iberian population (now recognized as a separate species, *Cyanopica cooki*). - They are highly social, often moving and ...