Azure-winged Magpie © flickr.com

Introduced to Hong Kong (China) (B).

Recent DNA-sequencing indicates that this genus and Perisoreus form unique clades, separate from other corvids. Usually treated as conspecific with Iberian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cooki), but fossilized remains of latter (previously thought introduced) indicate that its distribution is natural. Also, DNA studies of genus indicated that the two forms diverged at least one million years ago, and should be treated as separate species. Geographical variation partly clinal, intergrading of mainland subspecies making assessment tricky; validity of koreensis, stegmanni, swinhoei and kansuensis perhaps questionable.

Other proposed subspecies are tristis (described from near Chita, in Transbaikalia) and pallescens (from Radde, on R Amur, in extreme south-eastern Russia), both synonymized with nominate, and jeholica (central Jehol, in north-eastern China), treated as synonym of interposita.

The following 9 subspecies are recognised:

• cyanus (Pallas, 1776)   -  North-western and northern Mongolia (east from Uliastay) east across Transbaikalia and southern Yakutia to south-eastern Russia (Amurland and Ussuriland), south to north-eastern China (northern Heilongjiang).
• japonica Parrot, 1905   -  Central Japan (northern and central Honshu).
• stegmanni Meise, 1932   -  Southern Heilongjiang (north-eastern China).
• koreensis Yamashina, 1939   -  Korean Peninsula.
• kansuensis Meise, 1937   -  North-central China (north-eastern Qinghai, western Gansu and north-western Sichuan).
• interposita E. J. O. Hartert, 1917   -  Northern China from Ningxia and eastern Gansu and Shaanxi east to Hebei and Shandong.
• swinhoei E. J. O. Hartert, 1903   -  East-central and eastern China (northern and central Sichuan east to Zhejiang and Jiangxi).
• cooki Bonaparte, 1850   -  Spain (except north and east) and eastern and southern Portugal. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Iberian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cooki).
• pallescens Stegmann, 1931   -  Middle and lower Amur River region.

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BirdLife International For more information about the Azure-winged Magpie see... BirdLife International Species Factsheet. Articles about the Azure-winged Magpie If you would like to read any articles about the Azure-winged Magpie... Show Articles (0) No Pictures of Azure-winged Magpie If Birdpedia has no pictures of Azure-winged Magpie or you would like to see more, then try the following...       From BING (10) No Videos of Azure-winged Magpie If Birdpedia has no videos of Azure-winged Magpie or you would like to see more, then try the following..       From BING (0) Where can I observe this species? Select an area (or leave blank) to see locations where this species has been recorded. Area   HOK HON SHI KYU OCEAN   All    Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location. Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.   Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          N S or   GPS help Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          E W or   Find GPS using Google Maps Distance Bearing     N NE E SE S SW W NW Get Sample GPS readings On What Field Trips was this species observed? Select an area (or leave blank), and a date range, to see field trips on which this species has been recorded. Area   HOK HON SHI KYU OCEAN   All    From To     Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location. Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.   Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          N S or   GPS help Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          E W or Distance Bearing     N NE E SE S SW W NW Get Sample GPS readings Latest Sightings for Azure-winged Magpie Select the Area to restrict the Sightings. Area   HOK HON SHI KYU OCEAN   All