Green Magpies: A Pleasure And A Duty

GARY BRALSFORD discusses two of the superb species of the genus Cissa, with practical advice on keeping the commoner one, and a conservation overview of the rarer bird

- Gary Bralsford

THE common green magpie (Cissa chinensis) or hunting cissa used to be common in UK and European aviaries. But since the temporary (later permanent) UK ban on imported wild birds in 2005 due to concerns about the spread of avian flu, they seem to have all but vanished in UK aviaries.

For the related species Javan green magpie (C. thalassina) aviaries have been built in the jungle of Java for a soft-release programme. But enough birds need to be bred by the world’s zoos before this can happen. Chester Zoo is the torchbearer for this endangered species.

The Silent Forest project for the Javan green magpie is trying to prevent its extinction in the wild, along with that of other Asian songbirds. Some zoos, such as Chester, have pairs off-exhibit and are trying to breed these rare birds.

I kept the common species in the early 1990s, and found them to be active and very intelligent, like the majority of corvids. They need to be stimulated and have plenty to do or they become bored and can become destructive in an aviary. Once I came home from work and went to feed mine. I thought vandals had broken in. The plants were uprooted, pots turned over and food scattered all over the floor.

The need to provide them some stimulation makes them a species not for everyone. They need to be away from birds in other aviaries, as I found out. They will terrorise birds in adjacent housing and, if they could, would pull birds into the wire. My friends Tony and Kim, who have them, say the same. Tony has witnessed the cock bird give a soft call to lure the birds next door close, then pounce on the wire.

Tony’s birds are in a 7.3m (24ft) aviary with heavy planting. This keeps them occupied and helps to prevents the plumage from turning blue. (In captive birds the natural green gradually turns a pale blue over time.)