Maghreb magpie

Maghreb magpie
	In Souss-Massa, Morocco
	Marrakech, Morocco
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvidae
Genus:	Pica
Species:	P. mauritanica
Binomial name
	Pica mauritanica; Malherbe, 1845
	Range of P. mauritanica Resident

The Maghreb magpie (Pica mauritanica) is a species of magpie found in North Africa from Morocco east to Tunisia. It can be distinguished from the Eurasian magpie by the patch of blue skin behind its eye, the narrower white belly, the shorter wings, and the longer tail.^[2]

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the Maghreb magpie was sister to a clade containing all the other members of the genus Pica.^[3]

In recent years, the population of Maghreb magpie in Tunisia has been experiencing a decline. Research has shown that the cause of this is nest failure, mainly due to the depredation of nestlings by the Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis).^[4]

References

^ BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Pica mauritanica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T103727118A112291895. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103727118A112291895.en. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^ del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.; Christie, D.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
^ Song, S.; Zhang, R.; Alström, P.; Irestedt, M.; Cai, T.; Qu, Y.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Fjeldså, J.; Lei, F. (2017). "Complete taxon sampling of the avian genus Pica (magpies) reveals ancient relictual populations and synchronous Late-Pleistocene demographic expansion across the Northern Hemisphere". Journal of Avian Biology. 49 (2): 1–14. doi:10.1111/jav.01612.
^ Nefla, Aymen; Ouni, Ridha; Selmi, Slaheddine; Nouira, Saïd (2021-03-26). "Breeding biology of a relictual Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) population in Tunisia". Avian Research. 12 (1): 12. doi:10.1186/s40657-021-00249-6. ISSN 2053-7166.

[iucn-1] BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Pica mauritanica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T103727118A112291895. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103727118A112291895.en. Retrieved 8 June 2022.

[hbw-2] Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.; Christie, D.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

[3] Song, S.; Zhang, R.; Alström, P.; Irestedt, M.; Cai, T.; Qu, Y.; Ericson, P.G.P.; Fjeldså, J.; Lei, F. (2017). "Complete taxon sampling of the avian genus Pica (magpies) reveals ancient relictual populations and synchronous Late-Pleistocene demographic expansion across the Northern Hemisphere". Journal of Avian Biology. 49 (2): 1–14. doi:10.1111/jav.01612.

[4] Nefla, Aymen; Ouni, Ridha; Selmi, Slaheddine; Nouira, Saïd (2021-03-26). "Breeding biology of a relictual Maghreb Magpie (Pica mauritanica) population in Tunisia". Avian Research. 12 (1): 12. doi:10.1186/s40657-021-00249-6. ISSN 2053-7166.

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