Cyanopica cyanus by Manuel A. M. - May be off...
© Manuel A. M. - May be off..., all rights reserved.
This page simply reformats the Flickr public Atom feed for purposes of finding inspiration through random exploration. These images are not being copied or stored in any way by this website, nor are any links to them or any metadata about them. All images are © their owners unless otherwise specified.
This site is a busybee project and is supported by the generosity of viewers like you.
The azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus), a bird in the crow family, is 31 to 35 cm long. The species is 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 cap 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. There is a white tip to the tail. Sexes are similar. Juveniles have a brownish-black hood.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
The species occurs over a large region of eastern Asia in most of China, Korea, Japan and north into Mongolia and southern Siberia. It inhabits various types of coniferous (mainly pine) and broadleaf forest, including parks, orchards and gardens.
TAXONOMY AND SUBSPECIES
It was formerly thought to be conspecific with the Iberian magpie, but recent genetic analysis has shown them to be distinct at species level. The Iberian Magpie differs in having an all-blue tail (no white tip) and slightly darker body plumage.
In total, eight subspecies are accepted.
BEHAVIOUR
Often azure-winged magpies find food as a family group or several groups making flocks of up to 70 birds. Gregarious, they congregate after the breeding season and throughout the winter months, forming noisy groups. The voice is a quick fired and metallic sounding kwink-kwink-kwink usually preceded by a single krarrah. Largely resident, but northernmost populations are more dispersive; higher altitude birds in Japan are also known to move to lower altitudes in winter.
DIET
Their diet consists mainly of acorns (oak seeds) and pine nuts, extensively supplemented by invertebrates and their larvae, soft fruits and berries, and also human-provided scraps in parks and towns. When seeking invertebrates on the ground, they like to jump forward both feet together.
BREEDING
This species usually nests in loose, open colonies with a single nest in each tree. The on average 6–8 eggs are incubated for around 15 days.
Source: Wikipedia