Biology:Cissinae

Cissinae is one of six subfamilies in the crow family (Corvidae). It comprises 9 species, which are spread over two genera.^[1] The members of Cissinae as a whole are sometimes referred to as blue/green magpies, and are described as some of the most colourful members of the Corvidae family.^[2]

Description

Species in Cissinae are brightly-coloured magpies; blue or green, generally blue in Urocissa and green in Cissa^[2], although members of Cissa have been observed to appear more blue or turquoise in captivity.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

Members of Cissinae are found across tropical South and Southeast Asia.^[2]

Taxonomy

Genus	Species	Image of type species	Range
Urocissa Cabanis, 1850	Taiwan blue magpie (U. caerulea) (Gould, 1863) Red-billed blue magpie (U. erythroryncha) (Boddaert, 1783) Yellow-billed blue magpie (U. flavirostris)(Blyth, 1846) Sri Lanka blue magpie (U. ornata)(Wagler, 1829) White-winged magpie (U. whiteheadi)(Ogilvie-Grant, 1899)	frameless	Tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia
Cissa Boie, 1826	Common green magpie (C. chinensis) (Boddaert, 1783) Indochinese green magpie (C. hypoleuca) (Salvadori & Giglioli, 1885) Javan green magpie (C. thalassina) (Sharpe, 1888) Bornean green magpie (C. jefferyi) (Temminck, 1826)	frameless	Tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia

Evolutionary history

Cissinae is thought to have originated in East Asia and Sundaland, during the Miocene. The birds also dispersed into the Indian subcontinent around the mid-Pliocene, and diversification of Cissinae members occurred afterwards. ^[2]

Corvidae