Larger than the Azure-winged Magpie, with a long tail and short, rounded wings. Its plumage appears black and white, but at close range one can see that the black plumage is in fact a beautiful iridescent violet-green. It has a very varied diet, from mice, lizards and carrion, to fruits and the eggs of other birds. It occurs in dehesas, woodland in valleys, parks and roadside trees. It is present throughout the year.