Bird
Common Green-Magpie
Cissa chinensisAlso known as Green Magpie, Hunting Cissa, Chinese Green Magpie
Common green-magpies are highly vocal and inquisitive corvids that forage through dense subtropical forest canopies and bamboo tangles, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks. Their striking green plumage relies on a fragile blend of structural blue colors and dietary yellow carotenoids, which can fade to light turquoise or pale blue when exposed to intense UV sunlight or nutritional shifts. Remarkable mimics, they weave the calls of other birds and predatory raptors into their harsh chatter and piping whistles.
ColorfulVocalForest Dweller
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBeetles and mantises, Small geckos and skinks, Tree frogs
Predators
- Forest raptors
- Arboreal snakes
- Civets
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, agricultural clearance, and local trapping for the caged songbird trade
HabitatsDense evergreen rainforests, foothill bamboo groves, and moist broadleaf thickets
Life span10–15 years
Classification
- FamilyCorvidae
- SpeciesCissa chinensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listen for Calls: Track their presence by listening for sharp, piercing whistles and rasping squawks in the canopy.
- Watch the Understory: Look for movement near tangled vines and lower branches, where they frequently forage for hidden insects.
- Maintain Distance: Use binoculars to avoid disturbing nesting pairs, as they become agitated and secretive when closely approached.
Close Relative JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Same Family (c) Koshy Koshy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Same Family (c) Luc Viatour, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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