# Azure-winged Magpie (*Cyanopica cyanus*) The Azure-winged Magpie is a beautiful bird with bright blue wings and a long tail. It loves to live in forests and is known for its playful nature and social behavior with other birds. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Azure-winged Magpie](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/ANR00921%28cropped%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Анар Өгөөмөр, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ANR00921%28cropped%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Azure-winged Magpie has striking azure-blue wings and a long tail, contrasting with its glossy black cap. Its throat and chest are a clean white, while its body is a warm grey-brown. This slender bird stands out with its vibrant blue feathers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Corvidae - **Genus:** Cyanopica ## Interesting facts - Azure-winged Magpies can remember human faces, recognizing threats for many years! - Their long blue tails help them steer perfectly while flying through forests. - These smart birds often follow wild boars to find tasty insects! - They build huge group nests where several females lay eggs! ## Special abilities - **Cooperative Nurturing:** Azure-winged Magpie can raise more chicks because older siblings and other adults help feed the young. - **Acorn Navigator:** Azure-winged Magpie has an incredible memory that helps them find buried acorns and seeds later on. - **Social Communicator:** Azure-winged Magpie can warn its group of danger by using a range of complex calls to alert others. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 31-35 cm - **Wingspan:** 38-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.065-0.09 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-12 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-8 - **Incubation:** 15-18 days ## Diet & Feeding These omnivores enjoy a mix of insects, seeds, fruits, and occasionally small vertebrates. - **Primary Foods:** insects, acorns, pine nuts, olives, berries, small lizards - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — A swift raptor that preys on smaller birds. - **Eats:** [Holm Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/holm-oak) (*Quercus ilex*) — They bury and consume acorns, sometimes helping new trees grow. - **Eats:** Mealworm Beetle (*Tenebrio molitor*) — Larvae and adult beetles are a common food source for these birds. - **Eaten by:** [Common Buzzard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buzzard) (*Buteo buteo*) — Larger birds of prey are occasional predators of magpies. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Azure-winged Magpie? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Azure-winged Magpie? 31-35 cm ### What is Azure-winged Magpie's wingspan? 38-45 cm ### How much does Azure-winged Magpie weigh? 0.065-0.09 kg ### How long does Azure-winged Magpie live? 8-12 years ### How fast can Azure-winged Magpie move? 40 km/h ### What does Azure-winged Magpie eat? These omnivores enjoy a mix of insects, seeds, fruits, and occasionally small vertebrates. ### Where is Azure-winged Magpie usually found? Forests ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Azure-winged Magpie: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/azure-winged-magpie)