Fun Eurasian Magpie Facts For Kids

Eurasian magpie is a bird that can be found from the Kamchatka peninsula in the east to Ireland in the west. They have a distinct appearance, and their mating rituals are extraordinary.

Their head, neck, and breast are glossy black, with a metallic tinge of green and deep violet sheen. Their wings are known to be black glossed with green. The flight feathers of these birds are solely white inner webs conspicuous and hidden when in flight.

It presumably also remains conspicuous to attract their counterparts. The scapular shoulder feathers are also white.

They have a graduated tail, which is green and reddish-purple glossed. During mating, they have unique behavior. They close their tails like a fan; buoyant flights and chases take place between the males and the females.

While courting is on display, males rapidly raise their heads, depress their head feathers, and call out in very soft tones. Their eggs are green with close specks. Although the chicks look like adults, they are not as glossy in appearance.

If you wish to read more such facts, check out Australian magpie facts and black-billed magpie facts.
 

Eurasian Magpie Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Eurasian magpie?

Eurasian magpies are species of birds. The magpie Pica genus includes this bird whose sheen has metallic green and violet tinge. Its soft tones are quite distinct. Its body has a violet sheen. The belly, on the other hand, is white.

What class of animal does a Eurasian magpie belong to?

The Eurasian magpie is a bird belonging to the Aves class. This bird is also named a common magpie.

How many Eurasian magpies are there in the world?

At present, there are approximately 46-228 million common magpie breeding pairs in the world. This bird has a violet sheen, the belly has a whitish tinge, and these colors make them quite exquisite to look at.

Where does a Eurasian magpie live?

The Eurasian magpie, or common magpie, is a resident breeding bird throughout the vast continent of Eurasia. The habitat of Eurasian magpies ranges from forest areas to meadows around the streams and rivers.

The habitat that these birds prefer the most is the countryside with scattered trees. This bird is black glossed with green sheen and can also be spotted in rocky areas and shrublands.

What is a Eurasian magpie's habitat?

A common magpie is a resident breeding bird throughout the Eurasian landscape. Their habitat extends from the Kamchatka peninsula in the east to Ireland in the west. The nests of these birds are unique.

Their nests are extremely firm, and a stable fork in the upper-level branches holds them. Their nests are actually the framework of the sticks, which are bound together with clay and a lining of this nest stays covered with fine roots.

Above the nest, there is a stout though loosely built circular dome. The lightly built dome of prickly sticks and branches includes a single entrance. In regions with scarce trees, even in well-wooded countries, nests can be seen in bushes.

Who does Eurasian magpie live with?

Common magpies, which sport a green and violet sheen, live together in breeding pairs.  

How long does a Eurasian magpie live?

Eurasian magpies can live for as long as 21 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of Eurasian magpies begins in spring. These birds are monogamous in nature and can be found in pairs. These pairs can be together throughout more than one breeding season. In the time of courting display, males rapidly raise their heads. They also depress their head feathers constantly.

They alternatively open and then close their tails like the movement of a fan. The males call in soft tones to the females, and there are occasional buoyant flights and chases between them. The white patch of their shoulder stays conspicuous, presumably to attract their counterparts.

The females lay about five to six eggs, and these eggs are tiny. They are colored blue-green with close spots. The contrast of green with close specks gives the eggs much distinction. The eggs hatch after about 22 days, and the young bird develops their wing feathers in the next 10 days.

What is their conservation status?

The Eurasian magpie is a bird with wings that are black glossed with green shades. The population of these breeding pairs has been classified as of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. There are not many variations of this bird in Europe. The Iberian magpie is the only other species of magpie in Europe.

Eurasian Magpie Fun Facts

What does Eurasian magpie l

The head, neck, and breast of an adult Eurasian magpie have a similar range of colors. The breast is glossy black, and even its tail is black glossed. Its wings are black glossed and have shades of purple or green.

Its short graduated tail is black with green and reddish-purple hues, while its belly and scapulars shoulder feathers are pure white. They move these tails like fans in the mating season.

These birds have white inner webs, conspicuous well if they have their wings open. The plumage of the sexes is more or less the same, but the females are slightly smaller. The younger birds look much like the adult ones except for the gloss on the sooty feathers.

How cute are they?

Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) are small birds, and their shoulder feathers are pure white. These species are adorable to look at.

How do they communicate?

These birds mainly communicate in chatters and tones. They call out in soft tones quite distinct and different from their usual chatter. This call, in soft tones, is especially done while mating.

How big is a Eurasian magpie?

The plumage of the sexes is very much the same, yet the females are slightly smaller. The average length of Eurasian magpies is between 17-16 in (43.1-40.6 cm). This makes them almost two times bigger than a sparrow.

How fast can a Eurasian magpie fly?

The exact speed is unknown, but they are known to take short buoyant flights in the mating season.

How much does a Eurasian magpie weigh?

The average weight of these birds varies from 0.4-0.6 lb (182-72 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

For these birds, there are no separate names for the males and females.

What would you call a baby Eurasian magpie?

The young birds are called chicks. They look just like the adults, leaving out much of the gloss on their sooty plumage. The eggs of Eurasian magpies are blue-green with close brown spots.

What do they eat?

Eurasian magpie is an omnivore, which feeds on young birds and eggs, grassland invertebrates, such as beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms, and small mammals. Grain and other vegetable-like substances are also in their diet.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous. These birds are quite intelligent.

Would they make a good pet?

A common magpie with a green and violet sheen will surely make a good pet. They are omnivorous and feed on grain and other vegetable types, insects.

Did you know...

The Eurasian magpie is the only species of magpie in Europe, other than the Iberian magpie. This bird of blue-green color is seen to take short buoyant flights, especially in the mating season, and they move their tails like fans.

These birds are extremely intelligent, and the young resemble the adults in terms of looks. The only difference is the absence of gloss on the sooty feathers. These birds of blue-green hue hail from the family of crows and jays.

The magpie is one of the smartest birds with the ability to imitate human speech, play games, grieve, work in teams, and use tools. Magpies can also talk, meaning that they have the ability to mimic human speech. This isn't their mode of communication though, it is merely an imitation of what they hear.  

Are magpies intelligent?

European magpies have a glossy head that is black with a metallic greenish tinge. They are more intelligent than some of their counterparts.

Their mental ability is often compared to great apes, and they can even express grief. They have the ability to store, hide and even cut their food in equal proportions for the young birds. They can even clean their own cages.

Can magpies mimic humans?

European magpies have mirror self-recognition. They are known to mimic a human voice and can express their emotions.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Indian peafowl facts and mountain chickadee facts for kids.

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