9 2 6 . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁two ▁colour ▁vari eties ▁were ▁recogn ised , ▁black - and - white ▁and ▁blue - and - white . ▁The ▁black - and - white ▁remained ▁the ▁only ▁colour ▁recogn ised ▁by ▁the ▁P oul try ▁Club ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁when ▁blue - and - white ▁and ▁d un - and - white ▁were ▁recogn ised . ▁ ▁The ▁Al tr he iner ▁El ster enten , ▁a ▁du ck ▁with ▁same ▁pl um age ▁pattern ▁as ▁the ▁Mag pie , ▁was ▁b red ▁in ▁Germany ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁by ▁Paul - Er win ▁O sw ald . ▁The ▁Ent ente ▁Europ é enne ▁tre ats ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁same ▁bre ed . ▁ ▁The ▁Mag pie ▁was ▁export ed ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁widely ▁kept . ▁It ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁Standard ▁of ▁Per fection ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁N amed ▁for ▁its ▁distinct ive ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁pl um age , ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁the ▁colour ation ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁mag pie , ▁the ▁typical ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁bre ed ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁white ▁with ▁two ▁large ▁black ▁areas ▁on ▁the ▁back ▁and ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁head . ▁As ▁the ▁bird ▁ages ▁the ▁black ▁cap ▁will ▁normally ▁begin ▁to ▁be ▁fle ck ed ▁with ▁white ▁and ▁may ▁eventually ▁become ▁completely