> I say this despite my feeling they are lovely birds (one for a
> girl, two for a boy......). I have never seen the Azure-winged
> Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) which is endemic to the Iberian
> Peninsula. Given its existence I cannot understand the "Eurasian
> Magpie" common name for Pica pica.
The common name used on the BOU (British Ornithologists Union) and
USA checklists is Black-billed Magpie; this is a more sensible name
IMO, particularly in the USA where the Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica
nuttalli) is also present. Curiously, they are only found in Western
USA (the Yellow-billed is restricted to California), indicating that
they must have arrived there from Asia, not Europe.
I saw Black-billed Magpies in Kew Gardens, England, earlier this year;
they are a stunning bird, both were highlight of the two days(!) I spent
in London.
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Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici -
I came, I saw, I ticked.
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