Maghreb Magpie
Pica mauritanica Malherbe, 1845
Corvidae — Crows, Jays
Maghreb Magpie, Pica mauritanica, is a passerine of the Corvidae family that breeds in north-west Africa, including Morocco and Tunisia. It was first described in 1845. It is set apart from the Eurasian magpie by the blue bare skin behind the eye, the smaller white belly area, the shorter wings and the longer tail. It occurs from sea level to 2,300 metres. In Tunisia, its numbers have been falling in recent years, and nest failure has been linked to predation by the great grey shrike, Egyptian cobra and black rats, as well as brood parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo.
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Corvidae — Crows, Jays
- Breeding range
- Africa: nw Africa
