Alternative Name: Common Magpie
- Pica pica
Identification
Black head, neck, breast and back. Prominent white side patches and belly
Wings and tail, whilst looking black in certain lights, are actually bluey-green and purple
Very long tail, diamond-shaped when spread out.
Distribution
Europe and Asia. Whilst there are 'pockets' (notably Edinburgh and Aberdeen), it is absent from most parts of Scotland.
Taxonomy
This species was formerly considered conspecific with Black-billed Magpie P. hudsonia.
Subspecies[1]
About 12 subspecies are recognized:
- P. p. pica:
- British Isles, southern Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe to Asia Minor
- P. p. fennorum:
- Northern Scandinavia and western Russia
- P. p. galliae:
- P. p. melanotos:
- P. p. mauretanica:
- North-eastern Mauritania to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
- P. p. asirensis:
- Assir Mountains (south-western Arabia)
- P. p. bactriana:
- P. p. hemileucoptera:
- Western and southern Siberia to Outer Mongolia
- P. p. leucoptera:
- Southern Transbaicalia to eastern Mongolia and Altai Mountains
- P. p. camtschatica:
- Northern shores of Sea of Okhotsk to Kamchatka Peninsula
- P. p. bottanensis:
- P. p. sericea:
This is a thread discussing possible splits from this group of subspecies, with sericea and bottanensis the strongest contenders(?).
Habitat
Farmland and open country. Also town gardens and parks.
Behaviour
Walks and will hop sideways.
Flight
Quick, with deep, fast, even wing beats. Short glides.
Breeding
Builds a domed nest in tall trees, or hedgerows which often contains shiny objects
Vocalisation
Harsh "chack, chack, chack".
- <flashmp3>Pica pica (song).mp3</flashmp3>
- Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guid 5th Edition
External Links
This link searches for "Common Magpie"
