Although the main environmental determinants of bird distribution are contingent on the spatial scale of studies, the consistency of species distributional patterns has rarely been considered in large- and local-scale analyses. The competing roles of biotic, abiotic and landscape features in shaping the distribution of Azure-winged Magpies were assessed at two spatial scales: a large-scale analysis of 50x50 km blocks across nearly the whole of the species range (the Iberian Peninsula), and a small-scale assessment based on point counts of 50-m radius located near the northern edge of its distribution. The observed species distribution can be explained mainly by geographic and climatic features whereas the influence of landscape factors is weak. Azure-winged Magpies are more abundant near the core of its range in southwest Iberia and rarify towards the north and the east, in what seems to be a limitation of their ability to tolerate colder and drier climates, respectively. At local level, Azure-winged Magpies are habitat generalists avoiding urban sprawl whose probability of occurrence decreases with elevation, reaching zero above 1,600 m a.s.l. The species prefer wooded environments, although it tends to avoid mature, dense forests. The occurrence of potential competitors (Common Magpie Pica pica and Jay Garrulus glandarius), whose habitat preferences widely overlap with those of the Azure-winged Magpie, had no influence on either the large-scale or local distribution of Azure-winged Magpies. From a conservationist standpoint, the presence of the species in agricultural, pseudosteppe habitats with thinly forested watercourses highlights the importance of conserving gallery forests in the regions less suitable for the species.
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