Birds · Passeriformes · Corvidae
Iberian Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cooki
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The Iberian azure-winged magpie is a slender corvid with a black cap, a pinkish-brown body and unmistakable sky-blue wings and tail. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and highly characteristic of the dehesas of Extremadura and the south-west of the peninsula. It lives in tightly knit family groups and breeds cooperatively: the previous year's young help to feed their parents' chicks. It is noisy, inquisitive and notably intelligent, like the rest of the corvids.
Weight
60 g – 80 g
Size
31 cm – 35 cm
Lifespan
9 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- GeneralIt lives in family groups and breeds cooperatively: the young help raise their siblings.
- For decades the Iberian populations and those of eastern Asia were thought to be the same species separated by thousands of kilometres, and it was debated whether Portuguese ships had brought it. DNA and fossils found at Gibraltar showed that the Iberian population is native and has been here since the Pleistocene: they are two different species.
- It breeds cooperatively: the previous season's young stay in the family group and help to feed their younger siblings instead of breeding themselves.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Dehesa, pine woods and Mediterranean forest with understorey
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 15 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 6 eggs
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 16 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Iberian Azure-winged Magpie — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Northern Nutcracker
Nucifraga caryocatactes
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
Western Jackdaw
Corvus monedula
Least ConcernRed-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
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