The Red-billed Blue Magpie is a striking and graceful bird from the crow family, known for its vivid colouring and extraordinarily long tail. It has a red bill and legs, a black head, a white neck, and a long blue tail tipped with white. Like other corvids, it is highly intelligent and socially active.
Key facts
Lifestyle Red-billed Blue Magpies usually live in small family flocks and communicate actively through loud vocal calls. They are omnivorous — feeding on fruits, seeds, insects, small animals, and occasionally the eggs of other birds. Thanks to their intelligence, they adapt easily to new environments and are often seen in parks near human settlements.
Conservation status Listed on the IUCN Red List as a species of Least Concern. The population is stable, although it suffers locally from deforestation and the loss of natural habitats.
Distribution Found across the Himalayas, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and countries of Southeast Asia. Inhabits forests, mountain slopes, and parks.
