The title translates to "The Azure Magpie - Blue Crow."

Sizovoronka.

A bird of the sizovoronkov family. It inhabits sparse old forests, edges, clearings, glades, along railways and highways, power lines, and is found in old parks and groves.

Length up to 35 cm, weight up to 160 grams. The main color of the plumage is bluish-green, with a reddish-brown back. Among the modestly colored birds, the sizovoronka stands out with its special beauty. It seems to have brought enchanting colors from the distant south, the brilliant blue of the sky, and the brightness of sunny spots. The sizovoronka is approximately the height of a jackdaw. The head, neck, underside, and coverts of the wings are a beautiful sky-blue color with a greenish tint, the small coverts of the wing are violet-blue, the lower back and undertail are violet-blue, the back is light reddish-brown with an ochre tint; the underside of all flight feathers is a beautiful dark blue.

It arrives in April - May. It departs in August - September. It winters in Africa.

The flight is swift. It often sits on poles, wires, and dry branches. Nests in tree hollows.

Eggs are laid in hollows or burrows dug by the bird itself, with a bedding of haphazardly arranged stems and leaves of grasses. The clutch (in May) consists of 4 white shiny, almost spherical eggs. Incubation lasts 18 - 19 days.

The diet of the sizovoronka mainly consists of insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, and large beetles. Additionally, it catches small frogs, lizards, and occasionally rodents, as well as worms. In the steppe, it is one of the very useful birds. It is widespread along clay cliffs of the foothills and plains.

They are hunted for their meat and beautiful wings, which are used for decorating hats. It is often mistaken for a bluebird.

Red Book