Red-billed Blue Magpie Bird Facts (Urocissa erythroryncha)

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is a striking bird with vibrant blue plumage, a black head speckled with white, and an exceptionally long, graduated tail marked with white spots. Its bright red bill and legs stand out against its predominantly blue body, while the white tips on its wings and tail create a distinctive pattern.

Both sexes share similar colouration, with no significant differences between males and females. Juveniles have duller plumage with a whitish throat and face, and their bills start greyish before developing the adult's red colouration.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie can be found in Woodland habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Garden habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Urban habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie can be found in Mountain habitats.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Red-billed Blue Magpies inhabit a range of woodland habitats, including broadleaf and mixed forests, forest edges, and clearings. They are found in parts of southern and eastern Asia, including China, India, and Southeast Asian countries.

These non-migratory birds maintain their territories year-round. They are particularly common in hilly and mountainous regions and adapt well to various elevations within their range.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Red-billed Blue Magpie. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that can be found in the area throughout the year

Bangladesh Cambodia China India Laos Myanmar Nepal Thailand Vietnam

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

Highly agile bird, known for acrobatic movements through trees and skilled aerial manoeuvres. Their long, graduated tail provides excellent balance, enabling precise navigation through complex forest canopies.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

Moderately strong for their size, capable of handling diverse prey including small reptiles and rodents. Their robust bill allows effective probing and manipulation of food items, though they're not among the strongest corvids.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

Exceptional adaptability demonstrated through their diverse diet, tool use capabilities, varied habitat preferences from lowlands to 2,500m elevation, and ability to thrive in different woodland environments. Their intelligence and social structure further enhance their adaptive capabilities.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Whilst not overly aggressive, they display typical corvid territorial behaviour and will actively defend their nests. Their predatory nature when hunting smaller animals and cooperative group behaviour suggests moderate aggression levels.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Good endurance evidenced by their non-migratory lifestyle and active foraging behaviour throughout large territories. Their ability to maintain year-round territories and engage in extended periods of flight whilst foraging indicates solid stamina, though they're not known for particularly long-distance movements.

Red-billed Blue Magpies are omnivorous, with a varied diet that includes insects, small reptiles, rodents, and birds' eggs. They also consume fruits and seeds, particularly during the non-breeding season.

These birds often forage on the ground, using their strong bills to probe for food.

Red-billed Blue Magpies are highly social birds, often seen in small family groups or larger flocks. They are known for their acrobatic movements through trees, using their long tails for balance.

These intelligent birds engage in cooperative breeding, with family members helping to raise young.

Red-billed Blue Magpies are known for their varied vocalisations. Their calls include harsh, grating 'kree-kree' sounds and softer, melodious whistles.

They also produce a series of chattering notes, especially when alarmed or in social interactions with other magpies.

Breeding season for Red-billed Blue Magpies typically occurs from March to July. Pairs form strong bonds and engage in mutual preening and food sharing as part of courtship rituals.

Nests are large, cup-shaped structures made of twigs and lined with softer materials like grass and moss. They are usually placed high in trees, often near the trunk. Females lay 3-5 pale blue or greenish eggs with brown spots.

Both parents participate in incubation, which lasts about 17-19 days. Nestlings are altricial and fledge after approximately 3-4 weeks but remain dependent on parents for several more weeks.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie typically lives for 10 to 15 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

While the Red-billed Blue Magpie is currently listed as Least Concern, habitat loss due to deforestation poses a potential threat.

Conservation efforts focus on protecting their woodland habitats, particularly in mountainous regions where they are most commonly found.

Look for their distinctive long, blue tails in forested areas
Listen for their loud, harsh calls, which can help locate them
Observe them in small groups, often moving through the canopy
Visit forest edges and clearings where they may forage on the ground

Main predators include larger birds of prey such as hawks and eagles, as well as mammals like martens and leopard cats.

Red-billed Blue Magpies can mimic the calls of other birds and even some human-made sounds.
They have been observed using tools, such as twigs, to probe for insects in tree bark.
These magpies play an important role in seed dispersal, helping to maintain forest ecosystems.

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