Details
Pica pica
A black-and-white corvid widespread across Eurasia, with a long tail, iridescent wings, and notably flexible intelligence.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Uses farmland, woodland edges, parks, towns, and open forests, favoring a mix of trees and open feeding areas.
It has a black head and back, white belly and shoulders, and a long tail. Wings and tail flash blue-green or purple iridescence.
Pairs or small groups forage on the ground, communicate with harsh calls, and defend nest areas strongly.
It is omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, seeds, carrion, eggs, small animals, and human scraps.
Pairs build domed stick nests in trees and bring a wide range of foods to their chicks.
A corvid known from mirror-recognition studies, it thrives near people through flexible behavior and diet.
