Magpie
Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is one of the few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test. They are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds. In addition to other members of the genus "Pica", corvids considered as magpies are in the genera "Cissa", "Urocissa", and "Cyanopica". Magpies of the genus "Pica" are generally found in temperate  regions of Europe, Asia, and western North America, with populations also present in Tibet and high-elevation areas of Kashmir. Magpies of the genus "Cyanopica" are found in East Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. The birds called magpies in Australia are, however, not related to the magpies in the rest of the world. Name. References dating back to Old English call the bird a "pie", derived from Latin "pica" and cognate to French "pie"; this term has fallen out of use. The tendency in previous centuries was to give birds common names, such as robin redbreast (which now is called  the robin), jenny wren, etc. The magpie was originally variously maggie pie and mag pie. The term "pica" for some pregnant women's craving to eat nonfoods is related to the tendency of the magpie ("Pica pica") to feed on miscellaneous things. Systematics and species. According to some studies, magpies do not form the monophyletic group they are traditionally believed to be; tails have elongated (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds. Among the traditional magpies, two distinct lineages apparently exist. One consists of Holarctic species with black and white colouration, and is probably closely related to crows  and Eurasian jays. The other contains several species from South to East Asia with vivid colouration, which is predominantly green or blue. The azure-winged magpie and the Iberian magpie, formerly thought to constitute a single species with a most peculiar distribution, have been shown to be two distinct species, and are classified as the genus "Cyanopica". Other research has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the "Pica" magpies, since "P. hudsonia" and "P. nuttalli" may not be different species, whereas the Korean race of "P. pica" is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (as well as the North  American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as three or four separate species, or else only a single species, "Pica pica", exists. Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies Oriental (blue and green) magpies Azure-winged magpies Cultural references. East Asia In East Asian cultures, the magpie is a very popular bird and is a symbol of good luck and fortune. The magpie is a common subject in Chinese paintings. It is also often found in traditional Chinese poetry and couplets. In addition, in the folklore of China, all the magpies of the Qixi Festival every  year will fly to the Milky Way and form a bridge, where the separated Cowherd and Weaver Girl will meet. In their culture the Milky Way is like a river, and the Cowherd and Weaver Girl refer to the famous α-Aquilae and α-Lyrae of modern Astronomy, respectively. For this reason the magpie bridge has come to symbolize a relationship between men and women. Magpies have an important place in the birth myth of Ai Xinjue Luo Bukuri Yushun, the ancestor of the Qing dynasty. The Korean magpie, sometimes referred to as the Asian magpie or Chinese magpie, is  a national bird of Korea. Europe In European culture the magpie is reputed to collect shiny objects such as wedding rings and other valuables, a well known example being Rossini's opera "La Gazza Ladra" ("The Thieving Magpie"). Recent research has shown little truth in the legend, and magpies, like many animals, are actually unsettled by shiny, blue, or otherwise unusual objects. In England "a magpies nest" was a phrase used to describe something untidy and usually of little value. There is also a superstitious belief associated with magpies in the UK, whereby the sight of a single magpie is  said to bring sorrow or bad luck, the sight of two magpies is said to bring joy or good luck and viewing more than two magpies is said to determine the sex of a future child.