The common green magpie (Cissa chinensis) is a member of the crow family, roughly about the size of the Eurasian jay or slightly smaller. It is a vivid green in colour (often fades to turquoise in captivity), slightly lighter on the underside and has a thick black stripe from the bill (through the eyes) to the nape. Compared to the other members of its genus, the white-tipped tail is quite long. This all contrasts vividly with the red fleshy eye rims, bill and legs. The wings are reddish maroon. When dead, the colour of the bird changes into blue (according to H.J. Noltie's Natural History Drawings from the Collection of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles).