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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The European magpie, Pica pica, is the familiar black-and-white bird with a very long tail and a loud, repetitive chattering call. In the United Kingdom it is usually called simply the magpie; the IUCN assessment uses “Eurasian Magpie.” It eats a broad omnivorous and scavenging diet, occupies habitats from farmland and woodland to towns, and is listed as Least Concern globally in the surfaced IUCN assessment. That status is geographically broad and tied to dated assessments, so European and UK population figures need their source and year attached.
What species is the European magpie?
The European magpie is Pica pica. The IUCN Red List assessment calls it the Eurasian Magpie, while UK conservation and bird-monitoring organisations generally use Magpie. Those names refer to the same species. It should not be confused with other members of the genus Pica, including the Asir Magpie and the Black-billed Magpie.
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The species is recognisable at a glance because three features occur together: strongly contrasting black-and-white plumage, a conspicuously long tail and a harsh, repeated call. Colour can look different in strong light. The black wing feathers may show a purplish-blue sheen, and the tail can carry a green gloss when viewed closely.
For a formal conservation reference, see the BirdLife International assessment on the IUCN Red List.
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How to identify a European magpie
Size and shape
RSPB measurements put an adult at 44–46 centimetres long, with a mass of 200–250 grams and a wingspan of 52–60 centimetres. The tail makes the bird look unusually elongated, especially when it is perched or walking on the ground. The body appears compact beside that tail, while the wings are broad enough to show large white patches in flight.
| Feature | What to look for | Published detail |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | Medium-sized bird with a very long tail | 44–46 cm (RSPB) |
| Weight | Typical adult mass range | 200–250 g (RSPB) |
| Wingspan | Broad wings with obvious white areas | 52–60 cm (RSPB) |
| Plumage | Black head, back and breast contrasted with white flanks, belly and wing patches | Descriptions from RSPB and BTO |
| Gloss | Purplish-blue sheen on wing feathers; green gloss on tail can appear at close range | RSPB |
| Call | Repetitive, rough chattering often transcribed as “chac-chac-chac-chac” | BTO |
In a quick view, prioritise the silhouette rather than trying to judge colour. A long tail projecting well beyond the body, white on the sides and wings, and a black head form a more reliable combination than any single glint of iridescence. The RSPB identification account and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) bird facts page provide reference images and descriptions.
Listen for the call
The call is a conspicuous, repeated chatter rather than a single clear whistle. BTO represents it as “chac-chac-chac-chac.” If you hear that pattern and then see a black-and-white bird with a long tail, the identification is strong even when the bird is partly hidden by vegetation or buildings.
Where European magpies live
Habitats recorded in the United Kingdom
RSPB records magpies in woodland, upland, urban and suburban areas, farmland, heathland, wetland and grassland. This breadth explains why the species can appear in a city park, a village edge, an agricultural field or open countryside. Habitat use is not limited to one landscape type, so an urban sighting is entirely consistent with the species’ normal distribution.
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Global habitat categories
The IUCN assessment places Pica pica in forests, shrublands, grasslands, rocky areas and artificial terrestrial habitats. “Artificial terrestrial habitats” includes human-created landscapes; the category is why built-up settings and managed land can occur alongside natural habitats in a global description.
These lists describe habitats used across the species’ range, not a promise that every individual bird uses every habitat. Local abundance will depend on available food, cover and surrounding land use, and those conditions can change from one area to another.
What European magpies eat
The species is omnivorous and scavenging. That means its feeding opportunities are broad rather than tied to one food type or one habitat. A magpie may search for food on the ground, investigate open areas and exploit edible material it encounters while moving through woodland, farmland, gardens or urban spaces.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall“Scavenging” describes a feeding strategy, not a claim that the bird eats only refuse. Likewise, “omnivorous” indicates a mixed diet without specifying a fixed menu for every season or region. The RSPB account is the appropriate source for this high-level dietary description.
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Behaviour readers can observe
Vocal, conspicuous movements
Magpies often draw attention before they are clearly seen because their chattering call carries through open spaces and neighbourhoods. Their contrasting plumage and long tail then make them easier to track as they move between ground and perches.
Groups outside the breeding season
RSPB notes that non-breeding birds gather in flocks. Seeing several magpies together therefore does not by itself indicate a separate species or an unusual event. The observation should be recorded with the date, location and habitat if you are contributing to a local bird log.
The available species accounts do not establish additional breeding or cognitive details here, so those subjects should not be inferred from the identification and habitat information above.
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A practical field-identification checklist
Use this sequence when a bird is distant, backlit or partly concealed:
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- Check the outline. Look for a tail that is exceptionally long relative to the body.
- Find the contrast. Confirm a black-and-white pattern, including white on the flanks, belly or wings.
- Watch the wings. In flight, white wing patches should remain visible even when the iridescent sheen is not.
- Listen. A repetitive “chac-chac-chac-chac” style chatter supports the identification.
- Consider the setting. Woodland, farmland, grassland, wetland, heathland, upland and urban or suburban habitats are all compatible.
- Use close-range colour only as confirmation. Purplish-blue wing gloss and green tail gloss can appear when light and distance allow, but they are not required for a correct identification.
Is the European magpie threatened?
The IUCN page surfaced for this species lists Pica pica as Least Concern and describes a stable global population trend. The underlying BirdLife International assessment was published in 2017 and based on an assessment dated 1 October 2016. The page also displays a separate “Latest assessment: 2024 — Least Concern (LC)” label; because assessment pages can be updated, verify that label on the current IUCN record before presenting 2024 as the definitive assessment date.
Least Concern is a global category. It does not mean that every local population is increasing, nor does it remove the need to monitor regional changes. The 2017 assessment states that a global population size had not been quantified. It explains the category through the species’ very large range and apparently stable trend, which did not meet the thresholds for Vulnerable under the assessment framework.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Population figures: Europe, the UK and why dates matter
Different organisations publish estimates for different geographies and use different measures. A breeding-pair estimate, a breeding-territory estimate and an estimate of individual birds are not interchangeable. The figures below should therefore be quoted with their source and period.
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| Geography and measure | Figure | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Europe, breeding pairs | 7,500,000–19,000,000 breeding pairs | BirdLife International, 2004, as reported by the IUCN assessment |
| Europe, individual birds | 22,500,000–57,000,000 individuals | BirdLife International, 2004, as reported by the IUCN assessment; derived alongside the European breeding-pair estimate |
| Europe, trend | Stable since 1980 | BirdLife International assessment citing provisional data for 21 countries from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme; cited in the assessment published 2017 |
| United Kingdom, breeding territories | About 600,000 | RSPB; publication year is not stated on the retrieved page |
| United Kingdom, territories | 610,000 | BTO page retrieved in 2026 |
| United Kingdom, change | 104% increase from 1967 to 2024 | BTO; the stated comparison period is 1967–2024 |
The RSPB and BTO UK totals are close but not identical. Do not combine them into a falsely precise single count: they may reflect different survey methods, definitions or reporting dates. Similarly, the European trend based on provisional data from 21 countries is not a current census of every European country.
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UK conservation status versus global IUCN status
RSPB labels the magpie’s UK conservation status Green. That is a UK designation and should be read separately from the IUCN’s global Least Concern category. A species can have a favourable broad status while still showing local declines or management concerns in particular places; the labels answer different geographic questions.
How to record a reliable sighting
For a useful personal or community record, note the date, exact locality, habitat type, number of birds and whether the birds were alone or in a non-breeding flock. Add the identifying details you actually observed, such as white wing patches, the long tail or the chattering call. Avoid turning a brief, distant glimpse into an exact count or age determination that the observation cannot support.
A general European bird field guide can help compare silhouettes, calls and range maps, but it is an optional identification aid rather than a requirement. The RSPB and BTO species pages are freely available starting points.
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Key points to remember
- Pica pica is called Magpie in UK sources and Eurasian Magpie in the IUCN assessment.
- Look for black-and-white plumage, a long tail and a repetitive chattering call; iridescent wing and tail gloss may show at close range.
- The bird uses a wide range of habitats, including urban and suburban areas, and has an omnivorous, scavenging diet.
- The surfaced IUCN assessment lists the species as Least Concern with a stable trend, but its detailed assessment record is dated 2016/2017 and the page separately shows a 2024 latest-assessment label.
- European and UK population numbers must retain their source, geography, measure and date.
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