Formosan Blue Magpie
Encyclopedia
The Taiwan Blue Magpie also called the Taiwan Magpie or Formosan Blue Magpie or the "long-tailed mountain lady" , is a member of the Crow
family. It is an endemic
species living in the mountains of Taiwan
at elevations of 300 to 1200m.
In 2007 National Bird Voting Campaign held by Taiwan International Birding Association, there were over 1 million votes cast from 53 countries. Taiwan Blue Magpie defeated Mikado Pheasant
and was chosen as Taiwan's national bird, though it has yet to be formally accepted.
, but with a longer tail. It is 64-65 centimeters in length. Wing measures 18-21 centimeters and tail measures 40 centimeters in length.
The plumage of male and female look alike. Its head, neck and breast are black; eyes are iridescent yellow; bill and legs are red; the rest of the plumage
on the bird is a rich dark blue to purple in color. It also has white markings on the wings and the tail.
Similar to other members of the crow family, they have a raucous call which is described as a high pitched cackling chatter, "kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak", and they are well known scavengers and omnivores. Their diets include snakes, rodents, small insects, plants, fruits, and seeds. Wild fig
s and papaya
s are their favorites. They are known to store leftovers on the ground and cover them with leaves for future retrievals. Sometimes they store foods in the leaves or branches.
eggs while males help out with nest building and feeding. Their nests are usually found in the woods and weeds rendezvous areas and are mostly built on higher branches from March to April. The nest shapes like a bowl and is weaved with twigs and weeds. Usually you can find 3-8 eggs in a nest. Eggs have olive green color, with dark brown marks. Hatching takes 17–19 days and the successful rate is 78.3%. This will yield 3-7 chicks per nest. Taiwan Blue Magpies have a strong nest defense behaviour, and will attack intruders mercilessly until they retreat.
s that have been introduced to Wuling Farm in Taichung County
(now part of Taichung City). In 2007, three hybrids were found in Taichung, which has caused some concern to conservationists, who fear the Taiwan Blue Magpie could be threatened in a similar way to the Taiwan Hwamei
. However, the Endemic Species Research Institute of Taiwan has been working to control Red-Billed Magpie populations by capturing individual birds and relocating their nests. http://np.cpami.gov.tw/english/index.php?option=com_mgzen&view=detail&catid=17&id=142&Itemid=67.
Corvidae
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...
family. It is an endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
species living in the mountains of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
at elevations of 300 to 1200m.
In 2007 National Bird Voting Campaign held by Taiwan International Birding Association, there were over 1 million votes cast from 53 countries. Taiwan Blue Magpie defeated Mikado Pheasant
Mikado Pheasant
The Mikado Pheasant, Syrmaticus mikado, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.-Distribution and habitat:The Mikado Pheasant is endemic to mountainous regions of Taiwan...
and was chosen as Taiwan's national bird, though it has yet to be formally accepted.
Description
The Taiwan Blue Magpie is about the size of European MagpieEuropean Magpie
The European Magpie, Eurasian Magpie, or Common Magpie, , is a resident breeding bird throughout Europe, much of Asia and northwest Africa. It is one of several birds in the crow family named as magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies...
, but with a longer tail. It is 64-65 centimeters in length. Wing measures 18-21 centimeters and tail measures 40 centimeters in length.
The plumage of male and female look alike. Its head, neck and breast are black; eyes are iridescent yellow; bill and legs are red; the rest of the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
on the bird is a rich dark blue to purple in color. It also has white markings on the wings and the tail.
Behaviour
The Taiwan Blue Magpie is unafraid of people. Their traces can be found in proximity to human residences in the mountains or newly cultivated lands. They are gregarious and are usually found in groups of six or more, gliding and shuttling in the woods. When flying in a group, the birds tailgate each other. Sometimes they may be seen strung out as if in line.Similar to other members of the crow family, they have a raucous call which is described as a high pitched cackling chatter, "kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak", and they are well known scavengers and omnivores. Their diets include snakes, rodents, small insects, plants, fruits, and seeds. Wild fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s and papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
s are their favorites. They are known to store leftovers on the ground and cover them with leaves for future retrievals. Sometimes they store foods in the leaves or branches.
Breeding
The Taiwan Blue Magpie is monogamous. Females incubateAvian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
eggs while males help out with nest building and feeding. Their nests are usually found in the woods and weeds rendezvous areas and are mostly built on higher branches from March to April. The nest shapes like a bowl and is weaved with twigs and weeds. Usually you can find 3-8 eggs in a nest. Eggs have olive green color, with dark brown marks. Hatching takes 17–19 days and the successful rate is 78.3%. This will yield 3-7 chicks per nest. Taiwan Blue Magpies have a strong nest defense behaviour, and will attack intruders mercilessly until they retreat.
Status
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has currently assessed the species to be of Least Concern as it is common throughout its range. Due to its endemism, however, the Taiwan Blue Magpie has been listed as a rare and valuable species (珍貴稀有保育類) and protected by Taiwan's Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (Traditional Chinese: 文化資產保存法) since 1989. There is a small population of Red-billed Blue MagpieRed-billed Blue Magpie
The Red-billed Blue Magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha is a species of bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is about the same size as the European Magpie but has a much longer tail, the longest tail of any corvid. It is 65-68 cm long and weighs 196-232 grams .-Description:The head, neck and breast...
s that have been introduced to Wuling Farm in Taichung County
Taichung County
Taichung County was a county in central Taiwan, the Republic of China, that surrounded but did not include Taichung City. The name Taichung means "central Taiwan"...
(now part of Taichung City). In 2007, three hybrids were found in Taichung, which has caused some concern to conservationists, who fear the Taiwan Blue Magpie could be threatened in a similar way to the Taiwan Hwamei
Taiwan Hwamei
The Taiwan Hwamei is a passerine bird in the Old World babbler family, Timaliidae. It is endemic to the island of Taiwan. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Chinese Hwamei but has recently been split as a separate species...
. However, the Endemic Species Research Institute of Taiwan has been working to control Red-Billed Magpie populations by capturing individual birds and relocating their nests. http://np.cpami.gov.tw/english/index.php?option=com_mgzen&view=detail&catid=17&id=142&Itemid=67.
External links
- Ka-shiang, Liu. "The Long-Tailed Fairy of the Forest: In Search of the Formosan Blue Magpie." Rhythms Monthly Magazine.
- "Formosan Blue Magpie." ROC Government Information Office.
- Pictures of Formosan Blue Magpie
- Pictures of Formosan Blue Magpie
- Videos of Formosan Blue Magpie (links are at the bottom)
- 台灣藍鵲 (in Chinese)
- 台灣藍鵲 (in Chinese)
- 台灣藍鵲 (in Chinese)