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.
