To say that the Red-Billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha) is a spectacular bird is a bit on an understatement.
The head, neck, and chest are black with blue and white spotting on the crown. The shoulders and rump are a duller violet-blue, and the underparts are a greyish cream. The long tail is a brighter violet-blue with a broad, white tip. The bill is a bright orange-red, as are the legs and feet.
The body of the bird is about the same size as an Eurasian Magpie - but has a significantly longer tail. This species is found in a broad area of Northern India, and extends into South East Asia and China.
These individuals - which provided the best opportunity to photograph this species during my Indian trip - were seen from the hide at the Birders Den in Sattal in Uttarakhand.
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Cheers and best wishes to all of you. SM
What a glorious tail!
ReplyDeleteAmazing captures of this beautiful bird, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteHello Stewart :)
ReplyDeleteFabbulous photos and fabulous magpie.That tail is impressive.
All the best
Sonjia.