The Javan green magpie (Cissa thalassina) is a passerine bird in the crow family, Corvidae. This critically endangered species is endemic to montane forests on the Indonesian island of Java.^[1][2] It formerly included the Bornean green magpie as a subspecies, in which case the "combined" species was known as the short-tailed magpie.^[2]

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...

Javan green magpie
Individual at Chester Zoo
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Corvidae
Genus:	Cissa
Species:	C. thalassina
Binomial name
Cissa thalassina (Temminck, 1826)

Close

Once common, the species has declined drastically as a result of habitat loss and illegal capture for the wild animal trade.^[3] The size of the remaining wild population is unknown, but perhaps only around 50 individuals,^[3] while others speculate that the lack of recent sightings might mean that it already is extinct in the wild.^[4]

In an attempt at saving the species, a captive breeding program based on confiscated individuals has been initiated by the Cikananga Wildlife Center in Java (since 2011) and a few European EAZA zoos (since 2015).^[3][5] It has successfully bred at both the Javan and European facilities,^[4][5] and as of 2018 this captive population had reached about 50 individuals.^[6]

Javan green magpies are primarily a vivid green, with a black "mask" marking around their eyes, russet wings, and white tertiary feathers. They have bright red beaks and eyerings; their legs are equally bright, ranging from red to orange. Their eyes are dark brown and they have a relatively short tail.

The bright green plumage is the result of a combination of structural coloration, and the yellow pigment lutein, which they gain from their insect diet.^[3] They also feed on small lizards and frogs.^[4]

In captivity, adults turn bluish (the structural colour of their feathers) if their diet is inadequate in lutein.^[3]

Javan green magpies lay cream coloured speckled eggs^[7] and are altricial, hatching with no feathers, completely dependant on their parents. A fledgeling's initial plumage is bluish, with the dark face and wing markings. They have beige-brown beaks and eyerings with light orange legs. After their first moult they become green.^[5]