Sri Lanka Blue Magpie
Urocissa ornata
- Length
- 42–47 cm
- Family
- Crows, Jays, and Magpies (Corvidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Best months to see it
- JanJanuary: Best
- FebFebruary: Best
- MarMarch: Best
- AprApril: Best
- MayMay: Poor or no data
- JunJune: Poor or no data
- JulJuly: Poor or no data
- AugAugust: Poor or no data
- SepSeptember: Poor or no data
- OctOctober: Poor or no data
- NovNovember: Poor or no data
- DecDecember: Poor or no data
BestGoodFair
Overview
The Sri Lanka blue magpie or Ceylon magpie (Urocissa ornata) is a brightly coloured member of the family Corvidae, found exclusively in Sri Lanka. This species is adapted to hunting in the dense canopy, where it is highly active and nimble. Its flight is rather weak, though, and is rarely used to cover great distances. In spite of its ability to adapt to the presence of humans, it is classified as vulnerable to extinction due to the fragmentation and destruction of its habitat of dense primary forest in the wet zone of southern Sri Lanka.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Insects, frogs, lizards and fruit.
How to identify it
- Brilliant blue with a chestnut head and wings
- Red bill, legs and eye-ring
- Long, white-tipped blue tail
Voice
Varied rasping and whistled calls, usually from noisy family groups.
Where to see it
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve
- Horton Plains
Destination guides featuring this bird
Range and habitat
Dense evergreen hill forest of Sri Lanka.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Sri Lanka blue magpie
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
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