Latin name - Pica pica

Magpies are often seen as the "villain of the piece" with their aggressive behaviour and robbing of other birds' eggs and nestlings. However, most members of the crow family act in a similar way including the shy, colourful Jay without arousing the enmity that the Magpie seems to incur. Both sexes are alike with black upper-parts and a long tail accounting for over half the length of the bird, the under-parts are white. Closer inspection reveal the black colouring to be more like an iridescent blue, green, or purple. The young have much shorter tails with less glossy plumage. They can be found everywhere in Devon and Cornwall from coastal areas to farmlands, cities to moorland.