A resident bird of Cyprus and the area of ​​the Akamas. It is a quite common species, but not so much in the Akamas. It’s purely forest-dwelling (mainly in pine forests) in Cyprus, rarely seen outside the forest, and usually in places close to some forest area.

It is social and usually moves in small family groups, or in pairs during the breeding season. Its nest is made of branches, on trees. It’s an omnivorous species, feeding on a wide variety of foods, mainly insects and fruits. It is a small-sized corvid, approximately like a pigeon, with characteristic, rich coloring.

It has a pinkish-grey-brown body, with a white throat, black moustache, black tail, while its most characteristic feature is perhaps the light blue patch at the base of the wing, which continues in black with an even smaller, white patch. In flight, the white rump stands out, contrasting with the body and tail upperside.

It has a variety of calls, mostly hoarse, and can imitate other species, such as the Common Buzzard and the Northern Goshawk.