Unfortunately, there is not too much information on the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie – but its appearance alone justifies a separate post.
A wildlife guide describes them as “looking like a child’s painting in their livery of chocolate brown, red and blue.”
It is a Sri Lanka endemic with only a rather restricted range even within the confines of the island, probably also the explanation for its listing as Vulnerable.
Datazone estimates a population of 9000 to 19500 mature individuals.
Threats come from the fragmentation of forests, which also increases the amount of forest edge where Asian Koels more easily parasitize the species.
Its closest relatives are four other species in the same genus, Urocissa, but it stands out among them as being particularly ornatus (ornate, adorned, decorated, splendid, embellished). Quite a compliment upon realizing that the Red-billed Blue Magpie is in the same genus.
The HBW describes the species as chiefly carnivorous. However, some individuals also swing by the fruit put out for the birds at Martin’s Lodge in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve – though they are a bit more selective than some of the other customers there.
While one study found that many bird species try to avoid humans in this reserve, the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie actually seeks out small groups of humans and may even wait to be fed by them.
There is even a lodge named after the species, also at the Sinharaja Forest Reserve – hopefully, there will be a profile of that lodge at some point, if they reply to my inquiry.
The species even features in some board game … “Definitely an S- tier card, maybe the best in Wingspan Asia” (whatever that means).
Sri Lanka, here I come!