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Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
Silhouette: PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCorvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
- GenusPica (True Magpies)
- SpeciesPica pica (Eurasian Magpie)
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
76 Verified sightings at Cairngorms National Park From 2019 to 2026
16,222 In all 28 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Eurasian Magpie
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 is the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki), which is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula. Despite sharing a name and similar colouration, they are not closely related to the Australian magpie, which is an artamid, only sharing the same clade (Corvides).
The Eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds. The expansion of its nidopallium is approximately the same in its relative size as the brains of chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans. It is one of the few bird species known to pass the mirror test.
The magpie was first described and illustrated by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in his Historiae animalium of 1555. In 1758, Linnaeus included the species in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Eurasian Magpie in Cairngorms National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moscow Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 2 | Barcelona Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Flamingo Land Resort | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Wildpark Schwarze Berge | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Zoo Aquarium de Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Aquarama Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Budakeszi Game Preserve | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 9 | Bois de la Bâtie | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 10 | Blåvand Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 11 | Belgrade Zoo | 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
| 12 | Leintalzoo Schwaigern | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Heimatnaturgarten | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Closest Relatives at Cairngorms National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Magpie in Cairngorms National Park?
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie sighting in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, based on 76 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 140 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Eurasian Magpie in Cairngorms National Park?
August and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie in Cairngorms National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–July and September–November, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Eurasian Magpie?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eurasian Magpie sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Cairngorms National Park the best place to see a Eurasian Magpie?
28th of 28
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Eurasian Magpie sightings, Cairngorms National Park ranks 28th at under 5%. The best odds are in Hemis National Park (India, about 80%), Gauja National Park (Latvia, about 70%) and Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Eurasian Magpie live in Cairngorms National Park?
Same family: Corvidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Magpie that you can see in Cairngorms National Park (family Corvidae, Crows, Jays, and Magpies) are Eurasian Jackdaw (about 50%), Carrion Crow (about 40%) and Rook (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Eurasian Magpie sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eurasian Magpie is recorded against all the birds logged in Cairngorms National Park (76 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
