Pica is the
genus of two to four
species of
birds in the family
Corvidae in both the
New World and the
Old. They have long tails and have predominantly black and white markings. One species ranges widely from
Europe through
Asia, one occurs in western
North America and the third is restricted to
California. They are usually considered closely related to the blue and green
magpies of Asia, but recent research suggests their closest relatives are instead the
Eurasian crows.