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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 ~20% in a week ~40%
14 Verified sightings at Mercantour National Park From 2019 to 2026
16,222 In all 28 parks
April 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 Mercantour 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 Mercantour National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Eurasian Magpie in Mercantour National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie sighting in Mercantour National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 79 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Eurasian Magpie in Mercantour National Park?
April–May, July–August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie in Mercantour National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, June and September, the lowest months. March and November–January have too few records to rate.
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 Mercantour National Park the best place to see a Eurasian Magpie?
26th of 28
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Eurasian Magpie sightings, Mercantour National Park ranks 26th at about 10%. 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 Mercantour National Park?
Same family: Corvidae
The closest relatives of the Eurasian Magpie that you can see in Mercantour National Park (family Corvidae, Crows, Jays, and Magpies) are Carrion Crow (about 60%), Common Raven (about 30%) and Alpine Chough (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 Mercantour National Park (14 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.
