Iberian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cooki) - HBW 14, p. 598

Taxonomy: Cyanopica cooki Bonaparte, 1850, Madrid, Spain.
Recent DNA-sequencing indicates that this genus and Perisoreus form unique clades, separate from other corvids; significance of this requires further research. Usually treated as conspecific with C. cyanus. Because of peculiar global distribution of genus, with population in SW Europe (Iberia) separated by 9000 km from only other one (in E Asia), it was long speculated that Iberian population could have arisen from birds brought back E by Portuguese merchants and sailors in 16th/17th centuries; fossilized remains of this species found recently in caves on Gibraltar, however, indicate that distribution natural, which suggests that the populations had been separated during last glaciation. Further, two independent DNA studies of genus indicated that the two forms diverged at least one million years ago, and should therefore be treated as two species. Clarification of vocal differences from C. cyanus required. Birds of N part of interior Spain tend to be slightly larger and greyer than those of coastal areas, and could perhaps represent a geographical race (for which the name gili is available); overall variation is, however poorly defined. Treated as monotypic.