Eurasian Magpie

An adaptable, intelligent bird with an unmistakably long tail. Its apparently black plumage shines blue and green in sunlight.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Start close to home

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: All year
Where to start: Widespread, particularly around towns and in eastern Ireland.
What to do when you arrive: Scan park grass, hedge tops and open branches for the long tail and black-and-white outline, then check plumage. Do not search for nests.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

Bold black-and-white plumage and a very long tail. Wings and tail show blue-green iridescence; white wing patches stand out in flight.

Farmland, urban parks, suburbs, roadsides and open woodland.

An opportunistic omnivore eating insects, grain, fruit and carrion. Often seen in pairs and builds a large, domed nest of twigs.

All year

Widespread, particularly around towns and in eastern Ireland.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

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