Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

Urocissa ornata (Wagler, 1829)

42–47 cmLength196 gWeight

The Sri Lanka blue magpie or Ceylon magpie (Urocissa ornata) is a brightly coloured member of the family Corvidae, found exclusively in Sri Lanka.

Busiest months: December–January · Most records: Sri Lanka

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–January · Most records: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie has been recorded at 18 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sinharaja Forest ReserveSri Lanka762 records
  2. Sinharaja NP – Kudawa accessSri Lanka488 records
  3. Siharaja Forest Reserve – Visitor CentreSri Lanka207 records
More places
  1. Sinharaja NP – Rainforest EcolodgeSri Lanka139 records
  2. Sinharaja – Kudawa Village areaSri Lanka132 records
  3. Siharaja Forest Reserve – Research CentreSri Lanka83 records
  4. Kudawa – Sri Lanka Spurfowl SiteSri Lanka57 records
  5. Sinharaja Forest Reserve – Deniyaya accessSri Lanka46 records
  6. Kudawa – Thurusevana RoadSri Lanka45 records
  7. KitulgalaSri Lanka34 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Sri Lanka

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 Sri Lanka blue magpie or Ceylon magpie (Urocissa ornata) is a brightly coloured member of the family Corvidae, found exclusively in Sri Lanka. This species is adapted to hunting in the dense canopy, where it is highly active and nimble. Its flight is rather weak, though, and is rarely used to cover great distances.

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

Questions

How big is the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie?

The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is about 42–47 cm long and weighs around 196 g.

Where does the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: Sri Lanka. It is most often recorded in Sri Lanka.

When is the best time to see the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie as Vulnerable.

What does the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie in?

It belongs to the family Crows, Jays (Corvidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
42–47 cm
Weight
196 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
166 mm
Tail
241 mm
Bill
43 mm
Tarsus
43 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: Sri Lanka

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Crows, Jays Corvidae
Genus
Urocissa

Other birds in the genus Urocissa

Taiwan Blue MagpieTaiwan Blue MagpieUrocissa caeruleaYellow-billed Blue MagpieYellow-billed Blue MagpieUrocissa flavirostrisRed-billed Blue MagpieRed-billed Blue MagpieUrocissa erythrorynchaWhite-winged MagpieWhite-winged MagpieUrocissa whiteheadiMalayan Black MagpieMalayan Black MagpiePlatysmurus leucopterusBornean Black MagpieBornean Black MagpiePlatysmurus aterrimusSiberian JaySiberian JayPerisoreus infaustusSichuan JaySichuan JayPerisoreus internigransCanada JayCanada JayPerisoreus canadensisBlack-collared JayBlack-collared JayCyanolyca armillata
Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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