Editing Magpie (section)

==Systematics and species==

According to some studies, magpies do not form the [[monophyletic]] group they are traditionally believed to be; tails have elongated (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds.<ref>Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810020048/http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf |date=2017-08-10 }} ''Journal of Avian Biology'' '''36''': 222–234.</ref> Among the traditional magpies,  two distinct lineages apparently exist. One consists of [[Holarctic]] species with black and white colouration, and is probably closely related to [[crow]]s and Eurasian [[jay]]s. The other contains several species from [[South Asia|South]] to [[East Asia]] with vivid colouration, which is predominantly green or blue. The [[azure-winged magpie]] and the [[Iberian magpie]], formerly thought to constitute a single species with a most peculiar distribution, have been shown to be two distinct species, and are classified as the genus ''Cyanopica''.<ref>Kyukov et al, [https://archive.today/20120703012450/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120712647/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 Synchronic east–west divergence in azure-winged magpies (''Cyanopica cyanus'') and magpies (''Pica pica''), Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 42(4): 342-351 (2004)]</ref>

Other research has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the ''Pica'' magpies, since  ''P. hudsonia'' and ''P. nuttalli'' may not be different species, whereas the [[Korea]]n race of ''P. pica'' is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (as well as the North American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as three or four separate species, or else only a single species, ''Pica pica'', exists.<ref>Lee, Sang-im; Parr, Cynthia S.; Hwang, Youna; Mindell, David P. & Choe, Jae C. (2003): [http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf Phylogeny of magpies (genus ''Pica'') inferred from mtDNA data.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040504221410/http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf |date=2004-05-04 }} ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''29''': 250–257.</ref>

'''Oriental (blue and green) magpies'''
*Subfamily [[Cissinae]]
**Genus ''[[Urocissa]]''
*** [[Taiwan blue magpie]], ''Urocissa caerulea''
*** [[Red-billed blue magpie]], ''Urocissa erythroryncha''
*** [[Yellow-billed blue magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris''
*** [[White-winged magpie]], ''Urocissa whiteheadi''
*** [[Sri Lanka blue magpie]], ''Urocissa ornata''
**Genus ''[[Cissa (genus)|Cissa]]''
*** [[Common green magpie]], ''Cissa chinensis''
*** [[Indochinese green magpie]], ''Cissa hypoleuca''
*** [[Javan green magpie]], ''Cissa thalassina''
*** [[Bornean green magpie]], ''Cissa jefferyi''

'''Azure-winged magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Cyanopica]]''
** [[Azure-winged magpie]], ''Cyanopica cyanus''
** [[Iberian magpie]], ''Cyanopica cooki''

'''Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
** [[Eurasian magpie]], ''Pica pica''
** [[Black-billed magpie]], ''Pica hudsonia'' (may be [[conspecific]] with ''P. pica'')
** [[Yellow-billed magpie]], ''Pica nuttalli'' (may be conspecific with ''P. (pica) hudsonia'')
** [[Asir magpie]], ''Pica asirensis'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Maghreb magpie]], ''Pica mauritanica'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Oriental magpie]], ''Pica serica'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Black-rumped magpie]]. ''Pica bottanensis'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')