Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyanus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a mount by Allis Markham) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCorvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
- GenusCyanopica (Azure-winged Magpies)
- SpeciesCyanopica cyanus (Azure-winged Magpie)
About the Azure-winged Magpie
The azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) is a bird in the crow family. It is 31–35 cm long and similar in overall shape to the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) but is more slender with proportionately smaller legs and bill. It has a glossy black top to the head and a white throat. The underparts and the back are a light grey-fawn in colour with the wings and the feathers of the long (16–20 cm) tail an azure blue. It inhabits various types of coniferous (mainly pine) and broadleaf forest, including parks and gardens in the eastern populations.
It occurs over a large region of eastern Asia in China, Korea, Japan, and north into Mongolia and southern Siberia. The Iberian magpie from southwestern and central parts of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain and Portugal was formerly thought to be conspecific, but recent genetic analysis has shown them to be distinct at species level, the white-tipped tail being a prominent indicator.
Often azure-winged magpies find food as a family group or several groups making flocks of up to 70 birds. The largest groups congregate after the breeding season and throughout the winter months. Their diet consists... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Azure-winged Magpie in Nikko National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nikko National Park
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
Eurasian Nutcracker
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Cinereous Tit
Parus cinereus
Japanese Bush Warbler
Horornis diphone
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
Willow Tit
Poecile montanus
Brown-eared Bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaea
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Azure-winged Magpie in Nikko National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Azure-winged Magpie sighting in Nikko National Park, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Azure-winged Magpie in Nikko National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Azure-winged Magpie in Nikko National Park in our monthly data.