Bornean black magpie
Species of bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bornean black magpie (Platysmurus aterrimus), also known as the black crested magpie, is a treepie in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.[1]
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| Bornean black magpie | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Platysmurus |
| Species: | P. aterrimus |
| Binomial name | |
| Platysmurus aterrimus (Lesson, 1831) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
The Bornean black magpie was formerly considered a distinctive subspecies of the black magpie, but more recent revisions now consider it a full species, Platysmurus aterrimus.[1][2]
Description
Behaviour
The magpie is a garrulous and sociable bird, often seen in family parties. It has a variety of whistling and chattering calls and is also a vocal mimic. It flies with shallow wing beats that produce a distinctive low throbbing whoo or boobooboo sound.[4][1]
Breeding
A nest found in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in September 1981 was described as being about 20 cm across, built of sticks and sited 8 m up in a small tree.[3]
Feeding
The magpie is an arboreal, foliage-gleaning, insectivore and frugivore, also opportunistically taking small mammals and reptiles.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The magpie is found in the lowlands of Borneo, ranging in altitude up to about 300 m above sea level. It inhabits primary forest, including dipterocarp, kerangas and peat swamp forest, and is also found in secondary forest, overgrown tree plantations and scrub.[3]