Unlike its close relative, the Grey treepie (Dendrocitta formosae), the yellow-billed magpie is much more colorful with a bright yellow bill, red-orange legs and blue on the tail and wings. The tip of the extremely long tail also looks like it has been dipped in a can of white paint... The species occurs in temperate mixed forests at an altitude of between 1,600 and 2,700 meters. It is omnivorous and lives on invertebrates as well as fruits and berries.