Formosan Magpie
Urocissa caerulea
Silhouette: Lip Kee Yap (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCorvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
- GenusUrocissa (Blue-Magpies)
- SpeciesUrocissa caerulea (Formosan Magpie)
About the Formosan Magpie
The Taiwan blue magpie (Urocissa caerulea), also called the Taiwan magpie, Formosan blue magpie (Chinese: 臺灣藍鵲; pinyin: Táiwān lán què), or the "long-tailed mountain lady" (Chinese: 長尾山娘; pinyin: Chángwěi shānniáng; Taiwanese Hokkien: Tn̂g-boé soaⁿ-niû), is a bird species in the crow family. It is endemic to Taiwan.
The Taiwan blue magpie was collected by Robert Swinhoe and described by John Gould. Swinhoe translated the magpie's Hokkien name into English, calling it the "Long-tailed Mountain-Nymph". The species is sometimes placed in the genus Cissa. It forms a superspecies with the yellow-billed blue magpie (Urocissa flavirostris) and the red-billed blue magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha). The species is monotypic.
The Taiwan blue magpie is endemic to Taiwan. It lives in broadleaf forests at elevations of 300–1,200 m (980–3,940 ft). It is 63–68 cm (25–27 in) in length. The tail measures around 34–42 cm (13–17 in) in length, and the wings are 20 cm (7.9 in) long. It weighs 254–260 g (9.0–9.2 oz).
The plumages of the male and female are similar. The head, neck and breast are black. The eyes are yellow, and... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Formosan Magpie in Taroko National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Taroko National Park
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Corvus macrorhynchos
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Dendrocitta formosae
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Oriental Magpie
Pica serica
Taiwan Yuhina
Yuhina brunneiceps
White-eared Sibia
Heterophasia auricularis
Green-backed Tit
Parus monticolus
Steere's Liocichla
Liocichla steerii
Asian House Martin
Delichon dasypus
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron morrisonianum
Gray-chinned Minivet
Pericrocotus solaris
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Formosan Magpie in Taroko National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Formosan Magpie sighting in Taroko National Park, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Formosan Magpie in Taroko National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Formosan Magpie in Taroko National Park in our monthly data.