Appearance: Black-billed magpies are large birds about 19″ long. They have black bodies with glossy blue, green & violet highlights on the wings, white bellies, white shoulders, and very long tails.
Diet: This bird is an omnivore. They’ll eat animal matter from just about anywhere – carrion, human trash, roadkill, baby birds, and even other birds’ eggs. Will also eat fruit and grains.
Feeder food: Suet, black-oil sunflower seed, hulled sunflower seeds, cracked corn, peanuts, fruit, millet, milo.
Habitat: This bird prefers open woodlands, forest edges, and scrublands. They’re frequent backyard visitors as well as city parks.
Nesting: They nest in a tree or tall shrub. Nests are large and bulky made of sticks and lined with mud, dung, and animal hair. They have 1 brood/year and about 6-7 tan or olive-green eggs/brood. Incubation lasts 18 days and fledglings leave the nest at about 22-29 days.
Migration: Black-billed magpies are not migrators. Their year-round range includes southern Alaska, Yukon Territory, Canada’s southern provinces, and the northwestern and central parts of the U.S.
Range Map
