Fun Iberian Magpie Facts For Kids

The Iberian magpie is also known as the Cook's Azure-winged magpie, Iberian Azure-winged magpie, and Spanish Azure-winged magpie whose scientific name is Cyanopica cooki.

It is a monotypic species coming from the family of crows under the genus Cyanopica. The bird is usually 13.5-14.2 in (34-36 cm) in length and is similar to its neighbor the Eurasian magpie, or Pica pica.

The bird is much more slender in proportion and has a smaller bill as well as legs, and is quite a stunner with a shiny black head, white throat, and a light gray to azure blue color all over its body.

It is mainly found in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, Spain, and has been spotted in France and Italy in recent years. The bird is omnivorous in nature and prefers eating berries, insects, grass stems, seeds, millipedes, centipedes, small reptiles, and similar prey found around its habitats.

If you like this article, check out Australian magpie facts and the Hawaiian crow facts for more fun facts! 

Iberian Magpie Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Iberian magpie?

An Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki) is a bird belonging to the family of crows under the genus Cyanopica.

What class of animal does an Iberian magpie belong to?

The species comes from the class Aves from the family of Corvidae and the genus Cyanopica under the Animalia kingdom. 

How many Iberian magpies are there in the world?

As of now, the population distribution in Portugal stands at 40,000 pairs while in Spain it is around 250,000 pairs. 

Where does an Iberian magpie live?

An Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki) is a common sight in central and southwestern parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, and Spain. The bird is also seen around southwestern France and northern Italy in areas specifically abundant with coniferous and broadleaf forests as well as places like gardens and parks.

What is an Iberian magpie's habitat?

The Azure-winged magpie's habitat includes open woodlands, olive plantations, and orchards rich in abundance with pine trees and oak trees, most preferably around streams. They are also frequent visitors to tracks, roadsides, clearings, and deserted regions with scattered trees.

They are also seen up to 2,296.58 ft (700 m) of elevation in foothills, forming large flocks in coastal wooded dunes and in similar other locations.

Who do Iberian magpies live with?

The Azure-winged magpies are a family of large flocks consisting of about 70 birds who live and hunt together.

How long does an Iberian magpie live?

The average life expectancy of the species is estimated to be about 8-15 years.

How do they reproduce?

The mating rituals of the species begin during winters where the male approaches their chosen partners with opened wings and bows to them in a specific manner to grab her attention. Once the courting period is over, they stay in pairs and make their nests with twigs, rags, or papers lying around the ground.

Females are the ones who build most of the nest while the males help them.

The nest is placed at a height of 9.84-49.21 ft (3-15 m) above the ground and is mostly faced eastwards.

Around June, the female starts laying eggs that usually includes five to nine eggs and the incubation lasts for 17 days. In this whole period, the male takes care of his partner until the eggs hatch, after which they both feed and look after the hatchlings.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status of the magpie is of Least Concern, with a stable population distribution in its habitats.

Iberian Magpie Fun Facts

What do Iberian magpies look like?

The Iberian magpie has a glossy black head and nape which extends down below its eyes to its throat. The malar area is quite similar to the throat while the wings are blue in color. The underwings are black and blue both while the tail is completely blue. The tail is estimated to be about 7.55-7.75 in (192-197 mm). 

The upper portion of the bird is light gray to pinkish-brown in color while the underbelly except the throat is pale brown. The species has a black bill similar to its other species and has dark brown or black eyes and legs.

Both the male and female look quite similar to one another but the juvenile birds are much darker in color with a black head and tail.

How cute are they?

This bird is definitely a cute one as it is not only beautiful but very sociable, and has all the fluffiness in the world. You will definitely fall in love with it once you see it perched upon a branch with its round figure and unusual color variations.

How do they communicate?

The birds are very noisy in groups. They usually communicate with one another through calls and songs consisting of a hoarse 'zschreee' repeated clicking sound and continuous 'rii-rii' calls when they move away from one another.

There is also an alarm call used during the times when they are threatened and it is usually a very strong 'shriii' sound. The bird's calls and songs can be compared to a blue jay.

How big is an Iberian magpie?

The magpie species can grow up to a length of 13.5-14.2 in (34-36 cm), similar to the appearance of a hooded crow, or Pica pica.

How fast can an Iberian magpie move?

The average speed at which it can fly is estimated to be about 30 mph (48 kph).

How much does an Iberian magpie weigh?

The weight of the species falls within the range of 2.3-2.7 oz (65-76 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male magpies are usually referred to as cocks while the female magpies are referred to as hens. 

What would you call a baby Iberian magpie?

An Iberian magpie baby is called a chick. 

What do they eat?

The species feeds on various insects like beetles, larvae, millipedes, caterpillars, leeches, andsnailsas well as a wide range of fruits and nuts including cherries, grapes, asparagus, olives, myrtle, mulberries, pine seeds, and daphne. It has also been seen feeding on adult barn swallows and juvenile sparrows.

Are they dangerous?

Although the species is quite adorable to look at, they can actually turn aggressive if threatened, especially during breeding season when they are protecting their nests. They will attack anyone from whom they sense danger and attack in groups paying no attention to the intruder's size.

Would they make a good pet?

 They are birds who deserve to be free, confining them within four walls or in a cage is not appropriate and will make their lives less worth living. 

Did you know...

It might seem unusual but magpies can hear the slightest sounds of worms and other creepers moving around in the ground.

If there is ever a time when you notice a magpie turn its head sideways when it is walking across a surface, then it is probably trying to listen and make out in which direction its lunch is moving. Not to forget that these birds are very intelligent and can mimic sounds brilliantly.

You will never know if it is really your dog barking or a magpie imitating your pet as they are great impersonators.

Iberian vs. Asian Azure-winged magpie

The Iberian magpie and the Asian Azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) look very similar to one another in appearance with the same color combination and behavioral patterns.

However, there are a few differences that set both of these apart, like eating habits where the latter prefers eating small mammals and amphibians while the former is more selective in what they eat.

They are also different according to their habitats, groups, and ecology where they are commonly found.

How intelligent are magpies?

There is no doubt that magpies are considered one of the most intelligent birds in the world to ever exist. Their brain ratio is exceptionally high and has been compared to that of great apes and aquatic mammals.

These birds have showcased their abilities in imitating human speech, games, and have social behavior of working in teams while using various tools in their daily lives.

They also grieve and conduct funerals for their death and perform community feeding where they cut meals in small sizes to distribute among themselves. The birds have also passed a cognitive experiment known as the Mirror test where it has successfully been able to identify themselves.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our white-necked raven facts and chimney swift facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Iberian magpie coloring pages.

Main image by Frank Vassen.

Second image by Mario Modesto Mata.