
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 ~40% in a week ~70%
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 Moscow
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 Moscow
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Magpie in Moscow?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie sighting in Moscow on a given day, based on 725 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Eurasian Magpie in Moscow?
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie in Moscow on a given day, against about 10% in May to July, 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 Moscow the best place to see a Eurasian Magpie?
60th of 65
Of the 65 cities where we can rate Eurasian Magpie sightings, Moscow ranks 60th at about 20%. The best odds are in Tashkent (Uzbekistan, over 90%), Sincan (Turkey, over 90%) and Kharkiv (Ukraine, over 90%).
Which relatives of the Eurasian Magpie live in Moscow?
Same family: Corvidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Magpie that you can see in Moscow (family Corvidae, Crows, Jays, and Magpies) are Hooded Crow (about 80%), Common Raven (about 30%) and Eurasian Jay (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 Moscow (725 verified sightings), 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.
