The Formosan blue magpie has an average body length of 64-65cm,
a wing length of 18-21cm, and a tail length of 40cm. Their
plumage is sapphire blue with the exception of their head,
neck, and the tips of their upper tail coverts, all of which
are black. The feathers on their lower abdomen are lighter
in color, and there are white spots on the edges of their
flight feathers and white tints on the edges of their long
tail feathers. The tail of the Formosan blue magpie makes
up half of the length of its body, with the two middle tail
feathers longer than the rest. Formosan blue magpies have
bright red beaks and yellow irises, and can be described as
brilliantly colored birds.
Behavior:
Formosan
blue magpies are omnivorous birds capable of eating other
birds, amphibians, insects, and small mammals, though they
mainly eat seeds and fruits, with papayas being their favorite
food. Ferocious birds with a loud cackle, Formosan blue magpies
often live together in small groups and have been known to
occasionally attack other bird groups. During their mating
season, all of the members of a group will help to take care
of each other's young. When flying through valleys, Formosan
blue magpies fly in the so-called "long-tailed formation,"
with each bird flying one after the other in a magnificent
troop with their long tails trailing behind them.
Habitat:
Formosan
blue magpies are endemic to Taiwan and are often seen in broad-leaved
and secondary forests at low and middle altitudes up to 1800m
in elevation.
