Maghreb magpie

Maghreb magpie
	In Souss-Massa, Morocco
	Marrakech, Morocco
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvidae
Genus:	Pica
Species:	P. mauritanica
Binomial name
	Pica mauritanica; Malherbe, 1845
	Range of P. mauritanica Resident

Last updated July 30, 2025

The Maghreb magpie (Pica mauritanica) is a species of magpie found in North Africa from Morocco east to Tunisia.^[1] It can be distinguished from the Eurasian magpie by the patch of blue skin behind its eye, the narrower white belly, the shorter wings, and the longer tail.^[2]

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the Maghreb magpie was sister to a clade containing all the other members of the genus Pica .^[3]

In recent years, the population of Maghreb magpie in Tunisia has been experiencing a decline. Research has shown that depredation of nestlings by the southern grey shrike ( Lanius meridionalis ), Egyptian cobra ( Naja haje ) and black rats ( Rattus rattus ) were the most important causes of nest failure. The species is subject to brood parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo ( Clamator glandarius ).^[4]

References

1 2 BirdLife International. (2023). "Pica mauritanica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023: e.T103727118A222832134. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T103727118A222832134.en . Retrieved 1 February 2024.
↑ del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.; Christie, D.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica)" . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
↑ Song, S.; Zhang, R.; Alström, P.; Irestedt, M.; Cai, T.; Qu, Y.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Fjeldså, J.; Lei, F. (2017). "Complete taxon sampling of the avian genus Pica (magpies) reveals ancient relictual populations and synchronous Late-Pleistocene demographic expansion across the Northern Hemisphere". Journal of Avian Biology. 49 (2): 1–14. doi: 10.1111/jav.01612 .
↑ Nefla, Aymen; Ouni, Ridha; Selmi, Slaheddine; Nouira, Saïd (2021-03-26). "Breeding biology of a relictual Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) population in Tunisia". Avian Research. 12 (1): 12. doi: 10.1186/s40657-021-00249-6 .

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[IUCN-1] 1 2 BirdLife International. (2023). "Pica mauritanica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023: e.T103727118A222832134. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T103727118A222832134.en . Retrieved 1 February 2024.

[hbw-2] Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.; Christie, D.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica)" . Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

[3] Song, S.; Zhang, R.; Alström, P.; Irestedt, M.; Cai, T.; Qu, Y.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Fjeldså, J.; Lei, F. (2017). "Complete taxon sampling of the avian genus Pica (magpies) reveals ancient relictual populations and synchronous Late-Pleistocene demographic expansion across the Northern Hemisphere". Journal of Avian Biology. 49 (2): 1–14. doi: 10.1111/jav.01612 .

[4] Nefla, Aymen; Ouni, Ridha; Selmi, Slaheddine; Nouira, Saïd (2021-03-26). "Breeding biology of a relictual Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) population in Tunisia". Avian Research. 12 (1): 12. doi: 10.1186/s40657-021-00249-6 .

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