Black - Billed Magpie
- Anne Longman
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
Week of 04.28.25
Bird of the Week is back back! As a reminder, you can now leave comments on posts at the bottom of every page, and search for birds using the "complete list" page. This week's bird is a request from one of you!
The black-billed magpie is a medium size, non migratory bird native to the Northern US and Canada. They are black, blue, and white, with feathers that splay at the ends of their wings. When in flight, a black-billed magpie can be identified by the flash of white feathers on their wings from a considerable distance.
If you can’t find a magpie by sight, try listening. Their shrill and raucous call sounds a little bit like laughter and is usually joined by the song of other magpies. Like other birds, magpies announce their arrival and presence in an area. You'll know if one is around!
Magpies are members of the corvid family, alongside blue jays, crows, and ravens. Birds in this family are known for their displays of intelligence and problem solving abilities. Magpies in particular are able to recognize themselves in mirrors, making them one of the few non-mammals to do so. Most birds do not retain the ability to understand their own being, and instead see the reflection as another bird suspiciously mimicking every one of their moves. Man... just can't seem to outmaneuver that guy.
With intelligence comes bravery, sometimes to a fault. Not just black billed, but all members of the magpie group, are cunning thieves. Online blogs, YouTube videos, and articles flood the internet with titles such as “magpie stole my food”, “how to get magpies to stop stealing cat food?” and “a magpie stole my charger cable”.
Magpies display their intellect in a variety of ways, not just through stealing phone chargers. Black billed magpies are known to stalk large predators and scavenge off their kills. They display the same behavior when following indigenous groups hunting bison. Magpies will eat what becomes available to them, including other bird eggs, berries, and ticks straight off the fur of animals. Magpies are proven to use a sense of smell to locate food, a trait rarely seen in birds. This is especially interesting considering their propensity to enjoy carrion. While it helps them locate a carcass… yuck!
Magpies spend days or weeks making massive nests in a slow progression. The nest architecture includes a large domed roof that protects eggs from scavenging predators, which is funny considering their own predatory behaviors. Magpies share this home with another of their kind, and mate for life.
Next time you're in known magpie territory, keep your snacks and phone chargers close! Thanks for your patience as this website is improved, and ...
Have a great week!
----------------------------------------------------------
Sources:
Art by Anne Longman
Anne! Thank you for doing one of my favorite birds on my birthday! A wonderful post and gorgeous drawing as always. This blog is the perfect Monday morning pick-me-up.
It's got me charga' cable!!
Magpies are amazing birds! Thank you for profiling them. We used to call them “Cheeto thieves” growing up because they’d fly into our camp and steal them.