while I was searching for pics of either a black billed or yellow billed magpie, I found this GORGEOUS bird! This is a Formosan Blue Magpie of Taiwan. What an absolutely beautifully coloured corvid!!!

What a beauty!!! Birds are so beautiful!

Since we're on the topic (same family?) I've been meaning to ask especially since I saw that bird today near the lake. I used to mistaken them for grackles but they're also black, more like a deep velvet black (no shine) and they got a red little crest on the wing, and a yellow stripe. I watched it and it made the exact sound of the grackle and ruffled it's feathers (puffed up) What type of bird is it? In the grackle family?

Anyone?

Gorgeous! So pretty, in fact, I'm surprised someone hasn't "domesticated" it and put up for sale in Petsmart (that was bad, I know!).

I think I might make that my photography project for the year - Magpie pictures. They're badly represented on the internet.

Maniac, good to know!! Yes, they were in the marshy areas for sure. Lovely birds though, will keep an eye out for the fading colours. Right now the shades are gorgeous!

Wait, these aren't bad...







These guys aren't ratty. It seemed like the only nice pictures were copy-marked and up for sale. Greedy bastards.

Beautiful pics of the black billed magpie! They are not as striking as the one from Taiwan, but they are still extremely attractive birds in my opinion. I really wish we had magpies around here!

Gladys, you're so right... with magpies like those, who needs flowers! There are so many other beautifully coloured birds too.

I rescued one once, about 6-7 years ago, when I was helping my sister move. There was a Magpie with a fractured wing on her front lawn and I seem to have a knack for picking up birds.

I wonder why our indigenous species are less colourful? I know it's in relation to temperate zones, but why? I would think that regardless of climate, there must be natural predators that are going to spot all that bright colour.

That is an extremely beautiful bird Brad!

Great pics of the magpies too. I've seen a lot of them in England and in some parts of Scotland but they don't seem to be native to my side of the the country.

When I was a young lad growing up in the southwest of England, it was fairly common for young fellows in rural areas to collect young Magpies, Crows or Rooks from their nests and tame them. They made great pets as they are all very intelligent birds and they could be taught to mimic human words much like a parrot or myna bird. I wish we had magpies in eastern Canada but we don't, they range in the west.

Yes, Jim (Paws), who lives in Wasilla, AK, has Magpies visiting his gourmet feeding "table!"

They also like to chase and tease squirrels!

Sure are beautiful birds...but, that picture you posted, Brad, takes the cake!! WOW!!! What a STUNNINGLY colored bird!

We learn so much on this site!!

And, Maniac, you took the words right out of my post...I, too, thought of a Red Winged Blackbird! They are just beautiful too!

Love and Hugs

Shi

Wow, what beautiful birds! Thanks to all for posting such great pictures!

Linda

I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the magpie pictures I posted, I was just as much in awe as everyone else! Shi, yep...I do try to post educational topics here for all of us to learn something new. I think it's a great thing to expand our minds and see as much of the natural world as possible.

Here is a link to a thread from one of our past members, Paws, and his own magpie vs. squirrel adventures and videos! This whole topic was quite entertaining and amusing.

http://pigeonchat.forumakers.com/nature-escape-f5/colorful-magpies-t1497.htm#19786

Maniac (Dave), you are so right about rooks, crows, ravens, magpies etc., all members of the corvid family make wonderful pets and if acquired when young. Besides my fascination with pigeons, corvids are right up there in my avian interest books! They are very cool birds, remarkably intelligent.

Brad....THANKS SO MUCH for posting the link to Jim's Magpie thread!! The pictures he was able to take between the squirrels and magpies, was just so hysterically funny! Few are able to have such up close and personal "relationships" with the critters where they live!

I know some will enjoy seeing these videos again and those who have never seen them are in for a treat!

He absolutely spoils his critters rotten! He complains about going through a lot of food...well, duh, Jim...keep trying to tell him that the more one feeds...the more one needs! AND, Jim certainly has the best Gourmet Restaurant in Alaska, if not the world!

I'm still hoping Jim will post his pictures of Momma and Baby Moose...

Love and Hugs
Shi

Brad wrote:Here is a link to a thread from one of our past members, Paws, and his own magpie vs. squirrel adventures and videos! This whole topic was quite entertaining and amusing.

http://pigeonchat.forumakers.com/nature-escape-f5/colorful-magpies-t1497.htm#19786

I've never seen a Magpie that young before - he's adorable.