Not surprisingly, this species of Magpie got its name from its mainly vivid green color.

Vivid greens contrast beautifully with bright fleshy eye rims in a bird in a bird that can really surprise you when you find some are actually blue, making this bird one of the most distinctive in this species!

Meet the Common Green Magpie

Photo Courtesy of Len Worthington / CC BY-SA 2.0

The common green magpie (Cissa chinensis), is a member of the crow family. Not surprisingly, this species of Magpie got its name from its mainly vivid green color.

However, this is not always the case as some of these birds end up becoming a shade of blue! A slightly lighter color on the belly there is a thick black stripe from the bird’s bill to the nape of the neck. A long green tail tapers in white tips, with the wing primaries being a reddish maroon. The bill is red, as are the fleshy rim around the eyes and the legs.

Photo Courtesy of Koshy Koshy / CC BY 2.0

This species is found in the lower Himalayas into north easter India in a broad south-easterly band south into central China, Malaysia, Sumatra, and northwestern Borneo.

Photo Courtesy of Tareq Uddin Ahmed / CC BY 2.0

In its habitat, this bird looks for food both on the ground and in trees.

Hunting for invertebrates such as insects, larvae, earthworms, millipedes, and snails It will also hunt for reptiles, mammals, and bird’s eggs.

Photo Courtesy of Jason Thompson / CC BY 2.0

During the breeding season a nest is built in trees, large shrubs, or vines where up to 6 eggs are laid.

Photo Courtesy of TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0

Due to the large range of this species, it does not approach the threshold for Vulnerable.