Passeriformes / Corvidae / Urocissa
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie
Urocissa flavirostris · 黄嘴蓝鹊
Introduction
A passerine bird in the family Corvidae, forming a superspecies with the Taiwan blue magpie and the red-billed blue magpie. Its range covers the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, including the lower Himalayan foothills, with a disjunct population in Vietnam.
Description
Length 66 cm (26 in), including a tail of about 46 cm (18 in). Sexes are alike. The head, neck, and breast are black, with a white patch on the nape. The remainder of the lower plumage is white, faintly tinged with lilac. The whole upper plumage is purplish-blue, brighter on the wings and tail. Flight feathers are tipped with white, along with white outermost wing feathers. The tail is long and graduated, with blue feathers tipped with white, except for the very long central pair which have a band of black in front of the white.
Identification
Distinguished from the closely related red-billed blue magpie by its yellow bill and smaller white nape-patch. The red-billed species has a red beak and a greater extent of white on the nape.
Distribution & Habitat
Found throughout the Himalayas from Hazara to the Brahmaputra, with a disjunct population in Vietnam. Divided into two subspecies: U. f. cucullata, found from the western boundary to Western Nepal, breeding between 1,500 and 3,000 m; and an eastern form found from Eastern Nepal eastwards, occurring at slightly higher elevations and seldom below 1,830 m. It is a resident species that moves to lower elevations during winter.
Behavior & Ecology
Primarily arboreal but frequently feeds on the ground, adopting a hopping gait with the tail held high. Lives in parties of seven or eight birds and is highly territorial. Flight is slow and undulating. Diet consists of small mammals, eggs and young of other birds, insects, wild fruits, and berries. Very vocal with a variety of vocalizations. Nests are built in tree forks in heavy foliage, constructed of sticks and lined with grass and fibers. The clutch consists of three or four eggs, varying in base color from pale yellowish-stone to dark reddish-stone, marked with brown, sienna, or purple specks and blotches.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Urocissa
Subspecies (4)
-
Urocissa flavirostris cucullata
western Himalayas (Hazara to eastern Nepal)
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
