Himalayan Magpies

Context

From Kashmir to Myanmar, a few closely related blue magpie species are a common sight.

About Himalayan Magpies 

• Himalayan Magpies Taxonomy: Belonging to the Corvidae family, which includes crows, jays, and ravens. 

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• Characteristics of Himalayan Magpies:  
  • Size and Appearance: Blue magpies are pigeon-sized birds with a 45 cm-long tail, making their overall size approximately 66 cm. 
  • Tail Behavior: When searching for worms on the ground, their tails point upward; when harvesting berries in trees, their tails swoop downward. 
  • Flight Pattern: Their flight consists of a few rapid wing beats followed by extended gliding movements. 
  • Social Behavior: 
    • Blue magpies can be observed solitary, in pairs, or in noisy flocks of 8-10 individuals. 
    • Both parents are involved in the upbringing of their offspring.
• Types In the Himalayas, 
  • Gold-billed magpie also called Yellow-billed blue magpie, 
  • Red-billed magpie, and 
  • the Blue magpie, which resembles the red-billed magpie. 
• Himalayan Magpie Conservation Status: 
  • IUCNl Red List: Least Concern 
  • Wild Life Protection Act: Schedule-II
• Habitat: The species ranges across the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent including the lower Himalayas, with a disjunct population in Vietnam.
  • At higher altitudes (2000-3000m above sea level): Gold-billed magpie and Yellow-billed blue magpie. 
    • At slightly lower altitudes: Red-billed magpie. 
  • At lower altitudes where human settlements are more common: Blue magpie. 
• Nesting : 
  • The Yellow-billed blue magpie constructs its nests at the forks of branches in rhododendron trees. 
  • The nest itself appears to be a hurried job of twigs, with a soft lining of grass in which three-six eggs are laid in the months of May or June
• Behaviour & Significance:  
  • Birds of this family are often perceived as noisy and inquisitive in folklore worldwide. 
  • They are frequently associated with omens, whether good or bad. 
  • In certain European cultures, they are linked with witches, and an English rhyme suggests that spotting a lone magpie brings bad news.

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