Eurasian Magpie

The Eurasian Magpie is a large, unmistakable member of the crow family, easily recognized by its bold black-and-white plumage and long, wedge-shaped tail. The head, breast, and back appear glossy black, contrasting sharply with a clean white belly and prominent white patches on the shoulders (scapulars) and flight feathers.

At close range or in good light, the black plumage of the wings and tail reveals a striking iridescent sheen, shifting between green, blue, and purple depending on the angle of light. The tail is notably long, often as long as the body itself, and tapers to a graduated point.

Sexes are similar in plumage, though males average slightly larger. Juveniles look much like adults but with a shorter tail and duller sheen.

Key field marks

• Bold black-and-white plumage with a glossy black head, breast, and back
• White belly and white patches on the shoulders and wings
• Very long, iridescent, graduated tail
• Iridescent green-blue-purple sheen on black feathers in good light
• Heavy, slightly curved black bill

Similar species

• No other widespread European bird shares the same combination of pied plumage and extremely long tail, making the Eurasian Magpie essentially unmistakable within its range.
• Other magpie species elsewhere in the world (such as the Black-billed Magpie of North America) look extremely similar but do not overlap in range with the Eurasian Magpie and were historically considered the same species.

Habitat

Eurasian Magpies are highly adaptable, occupying woodland edges, hedgerows, farmland, parks, gardens, and urban and suburban areas, generally avoiding only dense unbroken forest and treeless open terrain.

Range

The species has an extremely wide distribution across temperate Europe and Asia, from Britain and Iberia eastward through Russia, the Middle East, Central Asia, to China, Korea, and Japan.

Migration

Eurasian Magpies are largely non-migratory and sedentary, with resident pairs typically defending the same territory year-round.

Behavior

Magpies are highly intelligent and social corvids, capable of problem-solving, tool use in some contexts, and recognizing individual humans. Outside the breeding season they may gather in loose flocks, particularly at communal winter roosts, while breeding pairs hold and defend territories.

Voice

The most familiar call is a harsh, chattering "chak-chak-chak" or rattling alarm call, used to mob predators or signal alarm. Magpies also produce a variety of softer, more musical notes, particularly during courtship and at the nest.

Feeding

As an omnivorous forager, the Eurasian Magpie eats a wide variety of foods including insects and other invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, the eggs and nestlings of other birds, seeds, and fruit, often caching surplus food for later use.

Nesting and breeding

Magpies build large, domed stick nests with a roofed structure and a side entrance, often placed high in trees, sometimes reused or refurbished across years. Females typically lay 5-8 eggs, and both parents contribute to feeding the young after they hatch.