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Pica pica

Magpie

Habitus (CC BY-SA 2.0) Pierre-Selim

Short Description

The magpie is black and white. Characteristic is its strikingly long tail which like the wings has a green, blue or purple metallic sheen.

Features

Magpie

Pica pica

  • long tail

  • wings and tail have a green, blue or purple metallic sheen

  • wave-like flight

Rufe

Tembrock, CC BY-SA 3.0

00:00
Habitus (CC BY 2.0) Tony Hisgett

In the city

Resulting from the loss of its natural habitat, competition by the carrion crow and by hunting, magpies frequently live in urban spaces. They can be observed in areas of short grass such as playgrounds and sports fields or in roadside grass verges.

Magpies are frequently unpopular because of their reputation as songbird killers. However, songbirds only make up a small portion of their diet. Urban food sources also include waste dumps and bird feeders. As a general rule, they tend to be rather shy towards humans.

Fun Facts

  • Magpies are considered thievish. In actual fact, magpies rarely dare to venture directly close to humans, and even more rarely do they actually make off with stuff.

  • Magpies hibernate in Germany.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
im Flug (gemeinfrei) Benutzer123

Sources

Habitus , Pierre-Selim, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pica_pica_-_Compans_Caffarelli_-_2012-03-16.jpg

Habitus , Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magpie_(4505769139).jpg

im Flug, Benutzer123, gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elster_wikipedia2.jpg

Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.

Fiedler, W. (2015) Die Vögel Mitteleuropas sicher bestimmen - Schlüssel zur Art-, Alters- und Geschlechtsbestimmung, Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Makatsch, W. (1989) Wir bestimmen die Vögel Europas, Leipzig: Neumann Verlag.

Voigt, A. (2006) Exkursionsbuch zum Studium der Vogelstimmen, Heidelberg: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Svensson, L. (2011) Der Kosmos Vogelführer - Alle Arten Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorderasiens, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Harrison, C. (1975) Jungvögel, Eier und Nester aller Vögel Europas, Nordafrikas und des Mittleren Ostens - Ein Naturführer zur Fortpflanzungsbiologie, Hamburg und Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey.

Artenfinder (2016) Pica pica (Elster), URL: https://arteninfo.net/elearning/voegel/speciesportrait/3179 (Accessed: 18.04.2016).