May 26
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Eurasian magpie, magpie, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Eurasian magpie on a log, Bhutan

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 designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of “monochrome” magpies. In Europe, “magpie” is used by English speakers as a synonym for the European magpie: the only other magpie in Europe is the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki), which is limited to the Iberian Peninsula. The Eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds, and it is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all non-human animals. Magpies were originally known as simply “pies”. This comes from a proto-Indoeuropean root meaning “pointed”, in reference to either the beak or the tail. The prefix “mag” dates from the 16th century and comes from the short form of the given name Margaret, which was once used to mean women in general (as Joe or Jack is used for men today); the pie’s call was considered to sound like the idle chattering of a woman, and so it came to be called the “Mag pie”. “Pie” as a term for the bird dates to the 13th century, and the […]
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Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, magpie, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, yellow billed blue magpie

Yellow billed blue magpie – Anti light, Bhutan

The yellow-billed blue magpie or gold-billed magpie (Urocissa flavirostris) is a passerine bird in the crow and jay family, Corvidae. It forms a superspecies with the Taiwan blue magpie and the red-billed blue magpie. The species ranges across the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent including the lower Himalayas, with a disjunct population in Vietnam. The first thing one would notice when looking at a Yellow-billed Blue Magpie is the bill that contrasts with the black head. The yellow-billed magpie or gold-billed magpie is a purplish blue bird with black coloured head, neck and breast regions. There is a white patch on the nape and whitish coloured underparts. It has a long tail which is graduated black and white . The billis yellow coloured and legs orange. The blue magpies are, as may be judged from their handsome tails, essentially arboreal birds; though, while they are most usually to be met with in heavy jungle areas, they also venture out into the trees amongst cultivation, and at times on to bare mountain sides at high elevations. They frequently feed on the ground and then adopt a curious hopping gait, with the tail held high to prevent it coming into contact […]
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Mar 03
by Admin in Sattal 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, magpie, Nikon, Nikon D750, red billed blue madpie, sattal, Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD

Red Billed blue magpie, Sattal

It is a part of the crow family. It takes the usual wide range of food, such as invertebrates, other small animals, and fruit and some seeds. It robs nests of eggs and also chicks. It is classified as least concern by IUCN.
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Aug 21
by Admin in Bangalore 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, black, magpie, male, Nikon, Nikon D750, Oriental magpie robin, robin, Tamron, Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD, wings

Oriental magpie robin male

This is an male oriental mapie robin. The male has glossy blue-black upperparts, head, throat and upper breast. Long tail is black, with white outer feathers. Wings are black with two bold, long, white wing bars. Underparts are white. The female is differentiated from the male by dull dark grey instead black on the same body parts. This bird is commonly found in in parks and gardens, cultivated areas and open woodlands. It also frequents human habitation surroundings. The main food for this bird is ground insects, worms, snails. It is the national bird of Bangladesh.
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