Bird of the Month: Black-billed Magpie
Written by Andy McCormick
Andy McCormick, Volunteer and Former Board President of Eastside Audubon
The Black-billed Magpie is a flashy black and white corvid that prefers open areas in the western United States and Canada. In Washington State it is common east of the Cascade Range.
A large bird with pied plumage and a long tail seen flying in open shrub-steppe country is sure to be a Black-billed Magpie. These gregarious birds are often seen perched in the open on a fence or shrub. The bird’s tail is extraordinarily long, and, in fact, it is longer than the rest of the bird’s body. The magpie appears all black and white from a distance, however, closer observation reveals blue and green iridescence on the black of the wings and tail. The large white wing patches and white belly are unique among corvids. Photographs and vocalization of the Black-billed Magpie can be located at The Macaulay Library
OPEN COUNTRY BIRD
Black-billed Magpies are common in the cold shrub-steppe environment of central and western North America and prefer open areas that include scattered trees. They are non-migratory but will wander, especially in the fall when they form large flocks which may include 100 individuals. In ways similar to other corvids the Black-billed Magpie is a curious bird and appears confident as it struts, not just walks, while foraging for its primary food – insects. Grasshoppers, beetles, flies, and caterpillars make up most of its diet, but it will also indulge in farm products especially grains, and at other times roadkill and human refuse.
The Black-billed shares the genus Pica, Latin for jay or magpie, with the Yellow-billed Magpie (P. nuttalli) which has a restricted range in open oak savannah in California’s central valleys. The species name hudsonia refers to the region once controlled by the Hudson Bay Company in Canada which encompassed part of its natural range (Holloway).
“Magpie …is a contraction of Magot Pie, a Middle English name for the bird. According to Swann (1913) the first part of the name …is ‘derived from the French Margot, a diminutive of Marguerite, but also signifying a Magpie, perhaps from its noisy chattering, in which it is popularly supposed to resemble a talkative woman.’ The second part of the name is supposed to come through the French from the Latin pica, which refers to the black and white [pied] coloration of the bird” (Bent, 1964, p. 134).
MAGPIES AND HUMANS
Black-billed Magpie
Scientific Name: Pica hudsonia
Length: 19”
Wingspan: 25”
Weight: 6 oz (175g)
AOU Alpha Code: BBMA
Black-billed Magpies have accompanied humans for centuries. Tales are told of magpies following tribal groups during buffalo hunts where they would eat the remains of animals left behind (Bent). The pattern continued when Europeans settled the land for cattle ranching. Magpies are still found around farm buildings and sometimes will roost in cattle barns. They have a cooperative relationship with some cattle, deer, and elk and they will comb through animal hair for ticks and other insects.
Past views of magpies were often negative, and they gained a reputation for eating eggs of other birds, raiding human food and grain stores. The magpies can be bold. Lewis and Clark wrote in 1804 that magpies entered their tent to take meat and other food from their plates (Bent). A significant threat to their survival was barely overcome in the 1920s. Ranchers and farmers would bait traps for coyotes with poisoned meat, which also attracted magpies. Sometimes this was done intentionally to kill magpies so a bounty of 0.02 cents each could be collected. There are accounts of hundreds of dead magpies found at some of the bait sites (Bent). However, the Black-billed Magpie is resilient and has recovered well and is now a common sight in its traditional range.
RIPARIAN NESTER
The Black-billed Magpie forages in semi-open country but because its wings are short and rounded, it is not a strong flyer. Consequently, it prefers to have access to trees and brush for safety and for nesting. Both the male and female build a large dome enclosure constructed of sticks with entrance openings on each side. Inside the dome they construct a cup nest lined with weeds and grasses. Usually, 6-7 greenish-gray eggs are deposited which only the female incubates for an average of 18 days. The male feeds the female during the nesting period (Kaufman).
The young fledge in about four weeks and may stay close to their parents and be fed by them for several more weeks. After separation they will join a fall or winter flock. The flocking experience helps males develop reciprocal bonds as a prelude to working together to rob predators. Pair bonds are formed in the winter and the timing of nesting can vary from year to year and will begin as temperatures warm (Trost).
Photo credit by Dan Streiffert and Penelope Kipps. References available upon request from amccormick@eastsideaudubon.org.