White-winged Magpie
Urocissa whiteheadi
白翅蓝鹊
Introduction
A passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. Unlike other members of the genus Urocissa, it displays black and white plumage without the blue coloration typical of related species. Found in Hainan Island and mainland Southeast Asia including southern China, northern Vietnam, and northern to central Laos. Two subspecies are recognized: U. w. whiteheadi on Hainan and U. w. xanthomelana on the mainland. The subspecies show distinct differences and may warrant species-level classification, though further study is needed. The species name commemorates British explorer John Whitehead.
Description
A medium-sized corvid with distinctive black and white plumage. The upperparts are black while underparts and wing patches are white, lacking the iridescent blue plumage characteristic of other Urocissa magpies. The tail is relatively long compared to body size. Sexes are similar in appearance.
Identification
Easily distinguished from other magpies by its black and white color pattern, lacking the blue, purple, or green hues found in related Urocissa species. The white wing patches are particularly diagnostic in flight. Similar to other magpies in size and structure but with a more contrasting two-toned appearance.
Distribution & Habitat
Restricted to Hainan Island and southern China, extending through northern Vietnam to northern and central Laos. Inhabits subtropical evergreen and mixed forests. The two subspecies have allopatric distributions separated by the Gulf of Tonkin, with whiteheadi endemic to Hainan and xanthomelana occurring on the mainland.
Behavior & Ecology
No specific behavioral information provided in source.
Conservation
No conservation information provided in source.
Culture
No cultural or folklore information provided in source.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae
- Genus
- Urocissa
- eBird Code
- whwmag1
Subspecies (2)
-
Urocissa whiteheadi whiteheadi
Hainan (off far southeastern China)
-
Urocissa whiteheadi xanthomelana
southeastern Sichuan (southwestern China) southward to Guangxi (far south-central China) and through eastern Laos to central Vietnam
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.