Nidification. Similar to that of occipitalis, but the eggs are quite different. The ground-colour seems always to be a very pale salmon or pink stone-colour and the marks consist of light reddish blotches and freckles over the whole surface, with numerous others underlying them of pale neutral tint. Eggs taken by Col. Bingham and by Messrs. Hopwood, Mackenzie and Harington were all of this description and I have seen none of occipitalis anything like them. The full clutch numbers three to six.
The breeding season is March to April in Lower Burma, April and May in Upper Burma.
Habits. This bird is said to come right down into the plains in winter and even to breed at very low elevations. In Assam and Northern Burma it keeps to the higher ranges and is seldom found below 5,000 feet.
They are said to keep much to the deciduous forests in Burma, but in Assam haunt rhododendron, oak and mixed evergreen forests.
Urocissa flavirostris.
Key to Subspecies.
| A. |
Under parts a rather dark lilac
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
U. f. flavirostris, p. 43. |
| B. |
Under parts almost pure white
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
U. f. cucullata, p. 44. |
(22) Urocissa flavirostris flavirostris.
The Yellow-billed Magpie.
- Psilorhinus flavirostris Blyth, J.A.S.B., xv, p. 28 (1846) (Darjeeling).
- Urocissa Flavirostris. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 27.
Vernacular names. Tying-jongring (Lepcha); Pianging-jabring (Bhutea).
Description. Head, neck and breast black, the nape white and the feathers of the crown tipped white; back, scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts purplish ashy, the last tipped black and with a narrow pale band in front of the black; wing-coverts, the outer webs of the primaries and outer secondaries and the whole of the inner secondaries purplish blue; all the quills tipped white, the earlier primaries whitish on the terminal half of the outer web; tail blue with a broad white tip and all but the central pair of feathers with a subterminal black band; lower plumage from the breast downwards lilac tinged with purple.
Colours of soft parts. Iris bright yellow; bill pale wax-yellow to a strong wax-yellow; legs and feet bright orange-yellow.
Measurements. Length about 630 to 650 mm.; wing from 178 to 190 mm.; tail up to 470 mm.; culmen about 65 mm.
The female is similar to the male but generally smaller, wing 170 to 180 mm. and the iris is a dull blue-brown.
