Javan green magpie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Javan green magpie |
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| A Javan green magpie at Chester Zoo | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cissa
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| Species: |
thalassina
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The Javan green magpie (Cissa thalassina) is a beautiful bird that belongs to the crow family, called Corvidae. This special bird is found only in the mountain forests on the Indonesian island of Java. It is now considered a critically endangered species, meaning it is very close to disappearing forever.
Sadly, the number of Javan green magpies has dropped a lot. This is because their forest homes are being destroyed. Also, people illegally catch these birds to sell them as pets. Experts are not sure how many are left in the wild. Some think there might be only about 50 birds. Others worry that they might already be extinct in the wild, meaning none are left outside of zoos.
To help save them, a special breeding program has started. It uses birds that were taken from illegal traders. This program began in Java in 2011 and later in some European zoos in 2015. These programs have been successful! By 2018, there were about 50 magpies living safely in these special breeding centers.
What Does It Look Like?
Javan green magpies are mostly a bright, shiny green color. They have a black "mask" around their eyes, like a superhero! Their wings are a reddish-brown, and some of their wing feathers are white. They have bright red beaks and rings around their eyes. Their legs are also bright, from red to orange. Their eyes are dark brown, and they have a fairly short tail.
Their amazing green color comes from two things. First, their feathers have a special structure that reflects light to look green. Second, they get a yellow color from a pigment called lutein. They get this lutein from the insects they eat. They also enjoy eating small lizards and frogs.
If these birds are kept in zoos and do not get enough lutein in their food, their bright green feathers can turn bluish. This happens because the yellow color from the lutein is missing, and only the structural color of their feathers shows.
Baby Magpies
Javan green magpies lay cream-colored eggs with speckles. When baby magpies hatch, they are completely helpless. They have no feathers and rely fully on their parents for everything. This is called being altricial.
When they first hatch, their feathers are bluish. They still have the dark face mask and wing markings. Their beaks and eye rings are a light beige-brown, and their legs are light orange. After their first moult (when they shed their old feathers and grow new ones), they finally turn their beautiful green color.
