The azure-winged magpie is a bird in the crow family. It is 31–35 cm long and similar in overall shape to the Eurasian magpie but is more slender with proportionately smaller legs and bill. It belongs to the genus Cyanopica.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Found widely across eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and much of Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu). It occupies open woodlands, forest edges, riverine corridors, agricultural mosaics, parks, and suburban green spaces. The species favors areas with scattered trees and shrubs for nesting and cover, avoiding dense unbroken forest. It adapts well to human presence and can be common around villages and orchards.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Azure-winged magpies are highly social corvids that often forage and travel in cohesive flocks, showing cooperative breeding in some populations. The Iberian population once lumped under this name is now treated as a separate species, the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki). They readily use human-modified landscapes such as parks and orchards and cache surplus food for later use.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically seen in noisy flocks that coordinate movements while foraging. Pairs nest in trees or tall shrubs; in some groups, helpers assist breeding pairs with feeding and defense. They maintain communal roosts outside the breeding season and show strong group cohesion.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocal repertoire includes rapid chattering, rattles, and scolding ‘trrr’ notes interspersed with softer whistles. Calls are often delivered in chorus by flock members and carry well across open habitats.
Plumage
Pale grey to buff-grey body with striking azure-blue wings and a long blue tail; sleek, glossy black cap and nape contrast with paler underparts.
Diet
Omnivorous, taking insects and other invertebrates, berries, fruits, seeds, and acorns. It may also consume small vertebrates, eggs, and food scraps around human settlements. The species often caches nuts and other durable items for later consumption and will opportunistically exploit seasonal windfalls and harvests.
Preferred Environment
Forages both in trees and on the ground along edges of woodlands, hedgerows, orchards, and parks. Frequently feeds in small groups, using vigilance and social cues to locate food and avoid predators.
