| Pica Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Eurasian magpie (P. pica) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Pica Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Corvus pica Linnaeus, 1758
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| Species | |
Pica is a genus of seven species of birds in the family Corvidae in both the New World and the Old. It is one of several corvid genera whose members are known as magpies.
Pica have long tails and have predominantly black and white markings. For instance, one species travels throughout Europe to Asia, one lives in western North America, one stays within California, one is confined to southwestern Saudi Arabia, and another one comes from North Africa. The last two species are often considered subspecies of the Eurasian. They were previously considered closely related to the blue and green magpies of Asia, but research suggests their closest relatives are the Eurasian crows.[1]
- ^ Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S.; Ekman, Jan (2005). "Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data" (PDF). Journal of Avian Biology. 36 (3): 222–234. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x.