Asir Magpie Pica asirensis Scientific name definitions

46 cm; 200 g. Unmistakable within its range; distinctive black-and-white corvid with long, graduated tail. Head to breast and upperparts are black with, at most, slight sheen (not obvious), only a little white on outer scapulars, upperwing black, glossed dark purplish blue on coverts and tertials, inner webs of primaries with white centrally, tail black with dark greenish-purple or bronze-purple gloss; flanks and central underparts white, undertail-coverts, lower belly and tibia feathering black; plumage prone to bleaching when worn (exposed glossy parts of wings and tail become dull bronze-brown); iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Differs from P. pica mainly in having more extensive black in plumage, wholly black rump, narrower white scapular patch, less extensive white in primaries, also tail relatively shorter, bill relatively larger, foot stronger. Sexes similar. Juvenile is similar to adult but duller, with black areas of plumage unglossed, and white areas washed with brown.

Asir Massif, in SW Saudi Arabia.

Restricted to juniper (Juniperus procera) forest and well-vegetated wadis on S-facing slopes, at 2200–3000 m, and perhaps once as low as 1800 m (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ).

Sedentary.

Omnivorous and probably opportunistic, but few details. Recorded food items “insects”, millipedes (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ), caterpillars, juniper berries, also food scraps from picnic sites, including boiled rice, also fallen grain, roadkill (e.g. lizards), other carrion (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ) and fruiting figs (Ficus). Forages in small groups of up to seven individuals, presumably family parties; rarely seen alone. Roosts in trees in well-vegetated wadis, foraging ceaselessly from dawn to dusk (can be from 05:20 to 19:20 hours) over area 2–3 km from roost-site. At first light group leaves roost and scatters into nearby trees, moving on after a few minutes.

Calls very different from those of P. pica. Three types of call described: a full, loud “quaynk-quaynk” given from top of bush or when a party is on the move; weaker “quenk, quenk” when bird alarmed or stressed during foraging; and soft “qua, qua” by food-begging young. Seems to be very vocal, group-members keeping in contact as they forage.

Egg-laying in early Feb, with nests with young observed between early Mar and mid Jun (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). Nest typical of genus, a somewhat oval, domed mass of twigs with side entrance, interior cup lined with soft plant materials (chiefly rootlets) and feathers, placed c. 3–8 m above ground (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ) at base of fork in juniper tree, more rarely in acacia (Acacia); seems to build fresh nest each year, although these are usually close to previous year’s site (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). Both sexes feed the young, perhaps most frequently during the morning hours (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). No other information.

ENDANGERED. Restricted-range species: confined to the South-west Arabian mountains EBA. Research indicates that perhaps fewer than 500 individuals survive, with a minimum of 135 breeding pairs (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ); these now restricted to Abha and 120 km to N, and at Jibal al Qahr, where the species appears most numerous (c. 50 pairs) (2 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). Species generally inhabits remote and difficult-to-access areas, and more research is patently required. Older reports indicate that range once extended throughout the Asir, even as far N as Taif. The lush vegetation in this part of Arabia is under threat from development for tourism, and climatic change is producing hotter and drier weather, forcing this species into pockets of remaining suitable habitat.