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Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) Alternate name(s): "Common Magpie", "Magpie" German name(s): "Elster" Size: 44-46 cm (incl. tail ca. 24 cm); wing span 52-60 cm Body mass: 210-270 g (male; race "pica"), 180-215 g (female; race "pica") Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.50

Europe: Family Group 22 Family Group 22 Table Great Grey Shrike Iberian Grey Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Woodchat Shrike Red-backed Shrike Eurasian Golden Oriole Eurasian Magpie Iberian Magpie Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Magpies are similar in size to Jackdaws, although they have a much longer tail. The two sexes look alike, but males tend to have longer tails than females. At first sight, their plumage appears to be all black-and-white. The head, neck and chest, as well has the back, rump, undertail coverts, tail and wing coverts are black, while the belly, flanks and scapulars are white. The mostly white primary wing feathers have black edges, which makes them appear black when the wings are folded. Upon closer inspection, the rump and upper body are indeed pitch-black, but the wings have a bluish sheen, while the tail feathers can show a greenish gloss. The tail is conspicuously long. The irises are black, the bill, legs and feet are also black.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Magpie at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Magpie is available HERE . There are more than 10 races of Eurasian Magpies, which are a sedentary species. Their range spans from western Europe, including the British Isles, and the north-western coastal fringe of Africa, all the way to northern North Korea, the Pacific coast of China, Taiwan and eastern Siberia in far-eastern Asia, plus the Kamchatka peninsula. There is also a small population in one area of south-western Saudi Arabia (race "asirensis"). For details of the distribution of the various races, see e.g. Wikipedia. In Europe three races of Eurasian Magpies are found: The range of nominate race "pica" extends from western Europe, including the British Isles, northwards of the Pyrenees, to central Norway and Sweden, to the Ural mountains in the East. They are found all through central, eastern and south-eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, including Italy, Sicily and Cyprus, as far as all of Asia Minor, but excluding Sardinia and Corsica. The northern boundary of their range in eastern Europe is the latitude of Riga, in central Latvia. Farther to the North, in northern Scandinavia and European Russia to about 70 degrees latitude, race "fennorum" is found. Race "melanotos" resides in all of Iberia. In their natural habitat, Eurasian Magpies have a preference for open country with scattered trees. They are not normally found in well-forested or treeless areas. However, Eurasian Magpies are very adaptable and thrive in proximity to humans. They can frequently be found in sub-urban settings, such as parks and gardens, and even in cities.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "pica" H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting Eurasian Magpies, race "pica", regularly in Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Magpies, race "pica", regularly in central Poland, e.g. near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in July 2016. C. Pears found Eurasian Magpies, race "pica", in various locations in the Lake District, Cumbria, England, and at Manchester Airport, England, in September 2024. Others were found at Lake Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece, in October 2025. A. Sarok spotted Eurasian Magpies, race "pica", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. In the past we spotted Eurasian Magpies, nominate race "pica", regularly in various parts of Germany. Race "fennorum" D. Wilczynska reports spotting Eurasian Magpies, race "fennorum", in Bergen, Norway, in June 2016. M. Eaton reports finding Eurasian Magpies, race "fennorum", in Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. C. Pears found Eurasian Magpies, race "fennorum", in Narvik, Norway, in September 2024. Race "melanotos" J. Pires reports spotting Eurasian Magpies, race "melanotos", regularly in the area from Mora, Evora, Portugal, to Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal. They were also found in other parts of Iberia, e.g. in various locations in Spain.

Photos

Race "pica"

ADULT

MALE

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie - based on the length of its tail this bird may be a male
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, June 2016]

FEMALE

Part of a family clan of Eurasian Magpies; the length of the tails suggests that the bird at the upper left is a male, the one at the lower right a female (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Manchester Airport, England, September 2024]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Cumbria, England, September 2024]

Dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Manchester Airport, England, September 2024]

Family clan of Eurasian Magpies (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]

Full-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie in flight (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Race "fennorum"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Bergen, Norway, May 2016]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Bergen, Norway, May 2016]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Bergen, Norway, May 2016]

Dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Race "melanotos"

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie - the length of the tail suggests that this may be a male (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Puebla de Sanabria, Embalse de Cernadilla, Zamora, Spain, July 2022]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Marinha da Garganta, Faro, Portugal, October 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Magpie - the length of the tail suggests that this may be a male (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a male Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2013]

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Magpie looking at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Trancao, Loures, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie - the moderate length of the tail suggests that this may be a female
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Casa de Campo, Madrid, Spain, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie - the moderate length of the tail suggests that this may be a female
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Quinta de los Molinos, Madrid, Spain, December 2019]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Tormes, Salamanca, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Magpie looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Guadiana River, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Faro, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a ruffled Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Tormes, Salamanca, Spain, July 2022]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Tormes, Salamanca, Castilla e Leon, Spain, April 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Parque da Cidade, Porto, Portugal, December 2019]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Eurasian Magpie in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alhos Vedros, Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2025]

Lateral view of a Eurasian Magpie in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Spain, November 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Magpie in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Pair of Eurasian Magpies with two begging juveniles (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile(?) Eurasian Magpie - note the pink gape (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2015]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair/family clan/mob

Eurasian Magpies are among the most prolific nest robbers within their range.

"Parliament" of Eurasian Magpies in a treetop (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Eurasian Magpies on a high perch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2020]

Food, Diet

Eurasian Magpies are omnivores that will eat anything from eggs and/or chicks of other bird species to carrion, invertibrates, insects, seeds and fruit.

Eurasian Magpie with a big meal, an acorn (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Embalse de Cazalegas, Cazalegas, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain, December 2019]

Eurasian Magpie foraging in a heap of mulch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]

Eurasian Magpie carrying food in flight, probably to feed its chicks (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

magpie_dw_20160707.m4a	pica (Poland)	Warning call	© DW
magpie_dw_20160715.m4a	pica (Poland)	Warning calls	© DW
magpie_dw_20170201.m4a	pica (Poland)	?	© DW
magpie_jp_20251002.m4a	melanotos (Portugal)	Contact calls? (Q&A)	© JP
magpie_jp_20251119.m4a	melanotos (Portugal)	Warning calls?	© JP
magpie_jp_20200722.m4a	melanotos (Portugal)	? (+ Eurasian Blackcap)	© JP

More Eurasian Magpie sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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