Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

                 Introduction of Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

      The yellow-billed blue magpie (Scientific Name :Urocissa flavirostris),  is a passerine bird and belongs to the family Corvidae. It is also known as Gold-billed magpie.These yellow-billed blue magpie species are non-migratory resident birds. Within their range they may make local movements for feeding and breeding.

                How to Identify Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

      This magpie species is an arboreal bird with long tail feathers.The yellow-billed blue magpie is a medium sized bird. it's length is around  55 to 60 cm  and weight is between 120 to 180 grams.
     The yellow-billed blue magpie has a distinctive black colored hood and a pale bluish colored patch on the nape. Color of  throat, upper breast and neck are black. The upper parts are blue and the underparts are whitish. The wings carry a sheen of greyish blue.
     The  strongly graduated long tail  feathers almost double the length of the the bird have whitish tips. The central pair of rectrices have a black band in front of the white tips. The flight feathers are tipped white.
     The bill is strong  and of pale yellow color. The color of irises are black. There is a gray eye-ring. The legs and feet are pinkish yellow.  Call of this Magpie is  loud and flute like.

                     Habits and Habitats

       These yellow-billed blue magpie species are non-migratory resident birds. They normally occur at an elevation of 1600 to 2700 meters.They are commonly found in   agricultural lands, plantations,  tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, foothill of forests,  temperate forests and moist mountain forests.
                      Food
       The main food of this yellow-billed blue magpie species consists  of invertebrates. Insects, small mammals, eggs  of birds.  Fruits and berries are also in their  food list. Magpies are mostly arboreal and sometimes they feed on the ground by adopting a hopping gait, with the tail held high.

Flight of Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

                      Breeding and Nesting

       The breeding season of these Yellow-billed blue magpie species is from April to July. These species are monogamous and territorial.The nesting sites include fork of tree branches. The magpie build their cup like nest on fork of tree branches with twigs and sticks, lined with grass, rootlets and plant fiber. The clutch contains 3-4 eggs. Eggs are pale in color  with small specks, blotches and streaks. The juvenile magpies may disperse and establish in new locations within the range.