Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

                   

• Sri Lanka Blue Magpie

                      Urocissa ornata




Between the Mynah and House Crow in size, but with a long, much graduated tail. Sexes Similar.

It is scarce and usually shy, but locally common and bolder. It associates in flocks up to six or seven, but pairs or solitary individuals are sometimes met with. A very energetic, agile bird, most of its time is spent in searching for food among foliage at all levels from the ground to the tops of tall trees. It capture the critters like hairy caterpillars, green tree-crickets, various chafer beetles, tree-frogs and lizards.

The breeding season is in the first quarter of the year, so  far as is known, but the nest has seldom been found. The nest resembled a small crow's nest. It is very well concealded among small twigs and foliage near the top of the tree. The eggs number three to five and are whitish, profusely spotted and speckled with various shades of brown. They measure about 30.5 × 22.1 mm.
It inhabits the heavy virgin forests of the mountains and wet-zone foot hills.