Red-Billed Blue Magpie

Urocissa erythroryncha

A red-billed tailed kitta sits on a branch and looks down at the ground. IUCN Red List endangerment category: Least concern
  • Family
    Corvids (Corvidae)
  • Weight
    200 – 235 g
  • Habitat
    Evergreen forests in mountainous regions

Sharing the workload

The female lays a clutch of three to five eggs. While she incubates the eggs over a period of about 18 days, the male will bring her food to the nest. In addition to fruits, seeds and nectar, he will also offer her worms, snakes and lizards. At the age of four weeks, the hatchlings will leave the nest, before they are fully fledged.

A Red-Billed Blue Magpie is sitting with its back to the camera, but it has its head turned toward the camera.

Vocal mimicry

The red-billed blue magpie is a member of the crow family, a group considered to be among the most intelligent of all birds. It excels at imitating the sounds of other birds. It has various calls, but the most common are a grating rattle or high-pitched, flute-like whistle. Always looking for new ways to have fun, the red-billed blue magpie often explores novel uses for sticks or small stones.

The red-billed blue magpie has the longest tail in the crow family, measuring ca. 45 cm.

Distribution

Distribution