Azure-winged Magpie

Azure-winged Magpie - South and west Spain - April and May 2012
The Azure-winged Magpie is a member of the crow family, similar in overall shape to the European Magpie but is more slender with proportionately smaller legs and bill. It has a glossy black top to the head and a white throat. The underparts and the back are a light grey-fawn in colour with the wings and the feathers of the long tail are an azure blue.

Azure-winged Magpies occurs in two population groups separated by a huge geographical region between. One population lives in western Europe, specifically the south western part of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain and Portugal. The other population occurs over a much larger region of eastern Asia in most of China, Korea, Japan and north into Mongolia.

Azure-winged Magpies inhabit various types of coniferous (mainly pine) and broadleaf forest. They usually nest in loose, open colonies with a single nest in each tree and often find food as a family group or several groups making flocks of up to 70 birds. The largest groups congregate after the breeding season and throughout the winter months.

Date: 27th April 2012

Location: La Tajadilla, Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, Extremadura, Spain

Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, Extremadura, Spain


Also in: South and west Spain - April and May 2012

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
European Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
Spanish Imperial Eagle
Spanish Imperial Eagle
Dartford Warbler
Blue Rock Thrush
Griffon Vulture
White Stork

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