Pica mauritanica
The Maghreb Magpie, *Pica mauritanica*, is a striking member of the crow family (Corvidae), distinguished by its glossy black and white plumage and a uniquely bare, cobalt-blue patch of skin behind its eye. Measuring 42-47 cm in length with a wingspan of 50-60 cm and weighing 180-250g, it possesses a characteristic long, graduated tail typical of magpies. Its head, back, breast, flanks, and tail are iridescent black, contrasting sharply with its pure white belly, scapulars, and primary patche...
This adaptable corvid thrives in a variety of environments, from open woodlands, cultivated lands, and olive groves to semi-arid scrub, urban parks, and gardens. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of 2200 meters in mountainous regions.
Their diet is highly varied, consisting primarily of invertebrates like insects and spiders, small vertebrates such as lizards and bird eggs, carrion, fruits, seeds, and human food waste, foraged mainly by ground gleaning and arboreal searching.
Maghreb Magpies are diurnal birds, active from dawn to dusk, often congregating in communal roosts outside the breeding season. Their foraging strategy is opportunistic and omnivorous, involving ground gleaning for insects and other invertebrates, arboreal searching for fruits, and scavenging for...
The Maghreb Magpie is exclusively found in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa, with its breeding and year-round distribution spanning across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This non-migratory species is a resident throughout its range, inhabiting a variety of landscapes from coastal plains to ...
Least Concern
- The Maghreb Magpie is the only magpie species in the world to possess a distinctive bare, cobalt-blue patch of skin behind its eye. - Until recently, it was considered a mere subspecies of the widespread Eurasian Magpie (*Pica pica*) but was elevated to full species status due to significant ge...