HIMALAYAN MAGPIES -
ENVIRONMENT
News: The magpies of the Himalayas
What's in the news?
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From Kashmir to Myanmar, a few closely related blue
magpie species are a common sight.
Himalayan Magpies:
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It belongs to the Corvidae family, which includes crows, jays, and ravens.
Characteristics of
Himalayan Magpies:
1. Size and Appearance:
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Blue magpies are pigeon-sized birds with a 45 cm-long tail, making their overall
size approximately 66 cm.
2. Tail Behavior:
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When searching for worms on the ground, their tails
point upward; when harvesting berries in trees, their tails swoop downward.
3. Flight Pattern:
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Their flight consists of a few rapid wing beats
followed by extended gliding movements.
4. Social Behavior:
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Blue magpies can be observed solitary, in pairs, or in noisy flocks of 8-10 individuals.
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Both parents are involved in the upbringing of
their offspring.
Types of the Himalayas
Magpie:
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Gold-billed magpie (also called Yellow-billed blue
magpie)
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Red-billed magpie
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Blue magpie (resembles the red-billed magpie).
Himalayan Magpie
Conservation Status:
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IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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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.
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Higher altitudes (2000-3000m above sea level): Gold-billed magpie
and Yellow-billed blue magpie.
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Slightly lower altitudes: Red-billed magpie.
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Lower altitudes where human settlements are more common: Blue
magpie.
Nesting:
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The Yellow-billed blue magpie constructs its nests
at the forks of branches in rhododendron
trees.
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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 and
Significance:
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Birds of this family are often perceived as noisy and inquisitive in folklore worldwide.
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They are frequently associated with omens, whether
good or bad.
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In certain European cultures, they are linked with witches, and an English rhyme suggests
that spotting a lone magpie brings bad
news.