Cissa jefferyi
The Bornean Green Magpie (Cissa jefferyi) is a captivating member of the Corvidae family, instantly recognizable by its vibrant emerald-green plumage, bright red bill, legs, and eye-ring, contrasted by a striking black mask across its eyes. Measuring approximately 31-35 cm in length with a long, graduated tail, and weighing around 120-150 grams, this medium-sized corvid is a true jewel of the Bornean montane forests. Its green coloration is notoriously unstable, often fading to turquoise or b...
Found primarily in evergreen primary montane and lower montane forests, typically at elevations ranging from 600 to 2,000 meters, preferring dense undergrowth and the mid-canopy.
Their diet is primarily carnivorous, consisting of large insects (mantises, cicadas, beetles), spiders, small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, and snakes, occasionally supplemented with wild fruits.
Bornean Green Magpies are diurnal and generally observed singly or in pairs, occasionally in small family groups, moving stealthily through the forest mid-story and undergrowth. Their foraging strategy involves actively searching for prey among leaves, branches, and on the forest floor, often gle...
The Bornean Green Magpie is strictly endemic to the island of Borneo, where it is found across suitable montane and lower montane forest habitats in both Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) and Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan), as well as potentially in Brunei. Its distribution is fragmented due t...
Near Threatened
- The vibrant emerald-green plumage of the Bornean Green Magpie is notoriously unstable and can fade to turquoise or blue upon exposure to sunlight or after death, making museum specimens often appear blue. - It is one of only four species in the genus *Cissa*, all known for their striking green ...