Red-billed blue magpies: Go out into the woods to enjoy their beauty and calls

^{Red-billed blue magpie Urocissa erythroryncha Photos: eBird}

“If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise . . .” Red-billed blue magpies will likely be waiting for you. These are perhaps Sai Kung’s most spectacular birds. All hikers, runners and other outdoor types will see them flitting across their paths before disappearing in the undergrowth. Personally I see them every time I exercise on the coastal Yung Shue O Road.

Red-billed blue magpies are members of the crow family with a long tail up to 25 ins. The head, neck and breast are black with bluish 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 bright violet-blue with a white tip. The bill is orange-red as are the legs and feet and a ring around the eyes. The blue magpies can be found from the western Himalayas across China and Southeast Asia. They nest in trees and big shrubs laying three to five eggs each time.

These beautiful birds find food in trees or on the ground, eating small animals, fruit and seeds. They will rob nests and eat chicks. Vocal mimicry is common with them and the calls are varied: usually you will hear a grating rattle and a flute-like whistle.