White-winged Magpie

Urocissa whiteheadi

Status: Endangered. Very small population that is declining due to habitat loss and hunting.

The Chinese Qixi Festival happens on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, and the story told on that day is of the romance between the Cowherd and the Weavergirl, originating in the Han Dynasty, with the earliest reference in Shijing, known as "Book of Odes". This book is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry. In the original text, there was no romance, simply mention of the Heavenly River, the stars Altair, Vega, and Aquila as Herderboy, Weavergil, and the Magpies. The lovers' tale evolved in the centuries following.

Weavergirl was a celestial being, and the youngest of seven sisters. She and Weaverboy, who was human, fell in love, and so she went to live with him upon the earth. Her marital bliss, however, led to her neglecting her heavenly duties and earning the ire of the Jade Emperor.

The lovers were separated in the heavens. The Milky Way spills in a glistening, heavenly river, and forever keeps the lovers apart, except for once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, when all the magpies of the world fly up and form a bridge of wings. On this day, the Cowherd and Weavergirl might briefly touch, before spinning back to their corners of the sky. This is one of the reasons why magpies are considered auspicious birds and bringers of good fortune.

References:
Pankenier, D. W. (2015). Weaving Metaphors and Cosmo-political Thought in Early China. T'oung Pao, 101(1/3), 1-34. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24755027

Gao, Jie. Saving the Nation through Culture: The Folklore Movement in Republican China. Contemporary Chinese Studies. University of British Columbia Press.

Schomp, Virginia (2009). The ancient Chinese. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.