- Where to see one
- 9 U.S. zoos in our directory hold azure-winged magpie, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
- Native range
- Eastern Asia — China, Korea, Japan, north into Mongolia and southern Siberia
- Size
- 31–35 cm long, with a tail 16–20 cm long
Conservation status
Least Concernassessed 2017
IUCN Red List category LC — step 1 of 7.
Least Concern (LC), assessed 2017
About the azure-winged magpie
The azure-winged magpie is a member of the crow family, measuring 31 to 35 cm long and similar in overall shape to the familiar Eurasian magpie, though more slender and with proportionately smaller legs and bill. It has a glossy black cap, a white throat, and light grey-fawn underparts and back, set off by wings and a long tail — 16 to 20 cm — in a distinctive azure blue. It lives in coniferous forest, mainly pine, and broadleaf forest, and in the eastern part of its range it also uses parks and gardens.
A very similar bird, the Iberian magpie of southwestern and central Spain and Portugal, was long thought to be the same species. Genetic analysis has since shown the two to be distinct, with the white-tipped tail of the Iberian magpie serving as the clearest way to tell them apart.
Behavior and diet
Diet
Acorns and pine nuts, supplemented by invertebrates and their larvae, soft fruits, berries, and human-provided scraps
Azure-winged magpies typically forage as a family group, and several family groups can combine into flocks of up to 70 birds, with the largest gatherings forming after the breeding season and continuing through winter. Their diet consists mainly of acorns and pine nuts, supplemented by invertebrates and their larvae, soft fruits and berries, and scraps provided by people in parks and towns.
The species nests in loose, open colonies with a single nest per tree. A typical clutch is 6 to 8 eggs, incubated for 15 days. Broods that hatch asynchronously — creating a size hierarchy among the chicks — produce more eggs and fledge more young than broods that hatch all at once. The call is a quick, metallic kwink-kwink-kwink, usually preceded by a single krarrah.
Range and habitat
Habitat
Coniferous (mainly pine) and broadleaf forest, including parks and gardens in eastern populations
The azure-winged magpie occurs across a large stretch of eastern Asia, including China, Korea, and Japan, and extends north into Mongolia and southern Siberia. Within that range it favors coniferous forest, particularly pine, and broadleaf forest, and readily uses parks and gardens in its eastern populations.
Conservation status
The azure-winged magpie is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, based on a 2017 BirdLife International assessment. The category means the species is not currently considered at risk of extinction.
It occurs over a large region of eastern Asia, in China, Korea and Japan and north into Mongolia and southern Siberia, living in coniferous and broadleaf forest as well as parks and gardens.
Where to see azure-winged magpie in the U.S.
9 zoos across 7 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 9 zoos holding azure-winged magpie by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Colorado· 1
Idaho· 1
Kentucky· 1
Louisiana· 1
Massachusetts· 2
Oklahoma· 1
Tennessee· 2
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
Azure-winged Magpie: common questions
Is the azure-winged magpie endangered?
No. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (2017 assessment).
How big does an azure-winged magpie get?
It measures 31 to 35 cm long, including a tail of 16 to 20 cm.
What does an azure-winged magpie eat?
Mainly acorns and pine nuts, along with invertebrates, soft fruits, berries, and scraps in parks and towns.
Where do azure-winged magpies live in the wild?
Across eastern Asia, including China, Korea, and Japan, and north into Mongolia and southern Siberia.
Which U.S. zoos have azure-winged magpies?
Five U.S. zoos list them, including the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Baton Rouge Zoo, and the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum.
