Specie's Page                                               Asia - Red-billed Blue Magpie

Red-billed Blue Magpie:  

UK Status: Non resident, introduced to zoos and parks.

Habitat: This bird is found in a braod swathe in the northern parts of the Indian sub continent and further east. It's range is from the Western Himalayas and eastwards into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, on through central China as far as south west Manchuria. They prefer coniferous woodland in hilly or mountainous areas, and have adapted well to urban habitats. They can be seen in large cities such as Beijing and Hong Kong.

Breeding: Nesting in trees and large shrubs the nest is a shallow cup made of branches and twigs. There are three to five eggs in a clutch.

Comment: These birds are about the same size as the Eurasian Magpie, but their tails are much longer. They forage both in trees and on the ground, and have a wide ranging diet. Similar to others of this genus it is an opportunist, the diet includes fruits, seed, invertibrates, and small animals. It will rob other birds nests and consume their eggs and/or chicks.