• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic note

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2016	Vulnerable	B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)
2012	Vulnerable	B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)
2008	Vulnerable	B1a+b(ii,iii,iv)
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	shelf island	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	6,300 km2	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	yes	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	9000-19500 mature individuals	good	estimated	2007
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2006-2026
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Generation length	6.7 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	6	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: Extensive surveys in 2004-2006 estimated a total population of 10,181-19,765 individuals. However, the species is a cooperative breeder with a monogamous mating system, so the effective population size and the number of mature individuals may be considerably fewer. Hence we retain a lower estimate of 9,500-19,500 for mature individuals.

Trend justification: The species is suspected to have declined steadily, in line with forest loss in the wet zone of Sri Lanka. However, if the current moratorium on further logging remains in place this decline may slow.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Sri Lanka	extant	native		yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Sri Lanka	Agrapatana-Bopaththalawa
Sri Lanka	Bambarabotuwa
Sri Lanka	Delgoda / Kudumiriya / Kobahadukanda
Sri Lanka	Delwela / Panilkanda / Walankanda
Sri Lanka	Dotalugala / Rassagala
Sri Lanka	Gilimale-Eratna
Sri Lanka	Hakgala / Meepilimana
Sri Lanka	Haputale
Sri Lanka	Horton plains / Ohiya / Pattipola-Ambewela
Sri Lanka	Kithulgala
Sri Lanka	Knuckles Range (Knuckles IBA)
Sri Lanka	Morapitiya-Runakanda
Sri Lanka	Morningside and Handapan Ella Plains (Sinharaja IBA)
Sri Lanka	Nakiyadeniya / Kanneliya / Dediyagala
Sri Lanka	Nuwara Eliya
Sri Lanka	Peak Wilderness Sanctuary
Sri Lanka	Waratalgoda

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	marginal	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	150 - 2135 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sri Lanka Blue Magpie Urocissa ornata. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/sri-lanka-blue-magpie-urocissa-ornata on 18/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 18/12/2024.