Urocissa ornata
The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata) is an exquisite and highly distinctive corvid, endemic to the wet evergreen forests of southwestern Sri Lanka. Measuring approximately 43-47 cm in length, including its long, graduated tail, this species is a riot of color, primarily vivid blue on its back, wings, and tail, contrasting sharply with a maroon head, neck, and underparts. A striking black mask extends from its bill, encompassing the eyes, which are encircled by a bright red orbital ring...
Found exclusively in the dense, wet evergreen forests of southwestern Sri Lanka, typically at elevations ranging from 150 to 2000 meters. It favors areas with a well-developed understory and tall emergent trees for nesting and roosting.
Primarily omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of invertebrates such as large insects and larvae, small reptiles, and frogs. It also consumes a significant amount of fruit, berries, and seeds, foraging by gleaning and probing.
Sri Lanka Blue Magpies are diurnal and highly social, often observed in small family groups of up to seven individuals, frequently joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They engage in cooperative breeding, where non-breeding helpers assist the dominant pair in raising young. Foraging occurs both...
The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is strictly endemic to the wet zone forests of southwestern Sri Lanka. Its distribution is highly fragmented, with strongholds primarily in protected areas such as Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Kitulgala, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, and other remaining patches of dense rainfo...
Vulnerable
- The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is one of the most vividly colored corvids in the world, a stark contrast to the often monochromatic plumage of many magpie species. - It is an endemic species, found nowhere else on Earth, making it a conservation priority for Sri Lanka. - This species engages in coop...