Eurasian Magpie

Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈43 cmLength56 cmWingspan218 gWeight

It is a sharply patterned black-and-white bird with a long tail, pure white scapulars and belly, and a white V on the back in flight.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Head, neck, breast and back black, with a blue-purple metallic gloss
Scapulars and upper and lower belly pure white
White wingtips and a white V on the back visible in flight
Bill, legs and feet black

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in plumage, with the female slightly smaller; juveniles initially lack metallic gloss, have pinkish cheeks and a shorter tail.

Voice

A noisy, choking “chac-chac”, also given in repeated series.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Eurasian Magpie has been recorded at 1,369 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 66 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom7,746 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,515 records
Beddington FarmlandsUnited Kingdom4,878 records

More places

Parque El Retiro-MadridSpain4,054 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,974 records
Txingudi – PlaiaundiSpain3,818 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom3,702 records
WWT London Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom3,648 records
Walthamstow WetlandsUnited Kingdom3,648 records
Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, SSSI and LNRUnited Kingdom3,533 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Portugal Germany France Greece Czechia Türkiye

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (Pica pica) is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) that are designated as magpies, and it belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies. In Europe, the term "magpie" is used by English speakers as a synonym for the Eurasian magpie; the only other species of magpie in Europe being the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki), which is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Eurasian Magpie?

The Eurasian Magpie is about ≈43 cm long, with a wingspan of 56 cm and weighs around 218 g.

Where does the Eurasian Magpie live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northern Eurasia from British Isles and western Europe to eastern Siberia. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.