Common green magpie

Common Green Magpie or Gagak Gunong (Cissa chinensis) is a member of the crow family (Corvidae). Gagak Gunong’s primarily green plumage is an unusual colour amongst corvids. This species has a bright emerald green upperparts and slightly paler green underparts, reddish-brown wings, a thick black stripe extending from the bill, through its dark eyes and all the way to its nape and a very long white-tipped tail. Its eye rims, bill and legs are bright red. Compared to other species from the same genus Cissa, C. chinensis has a recognisable longer tail and distinct tertial pattern and green underparts.

Frequent exposure to the sun can cause the Gagak Gunong’s green feathers fade to turquoise-blue because yellow carotenoids or bio-pigments, the source of its green plumage colouration is destroyed by the light or due to the lack of carotenoids in their diet. The blue plumage is also caused by the feather structure’s refracting light properties known as schemochromes.
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This species is primarily carnivorous and consume a wide variety of invertebrates especially beetles and grasshoppers, small reptiles and mammals, young birds and eggs. Gagak Gunong can be found in bamboo forests, scrubs and lowland evergreen forests.

I've managed to photograph the Common green magpie feasting on the Thai-peninsula pit-viper in Fraser's Hill.

Name: Common green magpie 
Scientific: Cissa chinensis
Malay: Gagak Gunung / Magpai Hijau
Family: Corvidae​
IUCN Red List (v3.1, 2018): Least Concern
Gear: SONY a9II + SEL200600G. 
​Location:  Fraser's Hill

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