With the advent of urbanization, trees in cities are gradually being replaced by tall buildings, leading to a significant decrease in the number of many bird species.

However, there are a few birds that are adapting well to urban life and their numbers are increasing, and the gray magpie is one of them.

Surprisingly, the name for the gray magpie only emphasizes its gray color, leading many people to think of it as an unattractive bird and not give it a second glance. However, its scientific name, Cyanopica cyanus, means "blue magpie", and its English name, Azure-winged magpie, emphasizes its beautiful blue color, making it a very poetic bird in the eyes of foreigners.

Many foreign birdwatchers come to China to admire the beauty of the gray magpie, and zoos in Europe and the United States treat the gray magpie as a magical species from the Far East. Another reason why foreigners are fascinated by the gray magpie is that it is only found in the areas north of the Yangtze River Valley and east of the Tibetan Plateau in China, as well as the Korean Peninsula, northern Japan, and northern Mongolia.

Interestingly, on the other side of the continent, in Spain and Portugal, there is another "gray magpie" - the Iberian gray magpie (C. cooki). The two are very similar in appearance and habits, differing only in the short tail and the rare white tips at the end of the tail feathers, the more colorful body color, and the difference in a call. Unlike the East Asian Gray Magpie, the Iberian Gray Magpie lives in the mountains and is not adapted to urban life.

Gray magpies are omnivorous birds, feeding mainly on insects in summer and seeds of various plants in winter and spring when there is no insect activity. Results from captive magpies show that they can eat insects, fruits, seeds, egg yolks, and even young mice.

Since gray magpies can adapt well to the noisy urban environment, they can also thrive in crowded areas. These characteristics are very different from their close relatives, the magpies.

Firstly, magpies and gray magpies are different genera. Magpies belong to the genus Magpie, which has many species of birds, while gray magpies belong to the genus Grey Magpie, which is the only one of its kind. In terms of appearance, the gray magpie is much smaller than the magpie, so it moves more lightly and deftly than the magpie, appearing more like a cheerful tree elf.

Secondly, magpies and gray magpies have different ranges. Magpies have a wide distribution range, covering almost the entire Asian and European continents and the western United States, while gray magpies have a much smaller distribution range, only in eastern Asia, the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese islands, etc.

Thirdly, magpies and gray magpies differ in breeding. Magpies breed early, usually starting to nest in early spring and February. In cities, they prefer the tops of tall trees where they are away from the crowds and hustle and bustle. Off the beaten path, they will build their nests in low areas. Magpies do not always build new nests during the breeding season each year, but they may also use old nests as nesting sites.