How to Identify aBlack-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia · 17.7–23.6 in (45–60 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Black head, breast and back with white belly and shoulder patches, and a very long iridescent green-blue tail. Sexes look alike.
Female
Identical to the male in the field, though slightly smaller.
Male photo: Polinova / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Second photo: Alan D. Wilson / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Field marks
- Extremely long, tapered, iridescent tail — half the bird’s length
- Bold white belly and white wing patches flashing in flight
- Heavy black bill
- Slow, undulating flight with quick wingbeats
Similar species
What it sounds like
A harsh rising "mag? mag? mag?" and a variety of loud rasping chatters.
Behaviour that gives it away
Builds a huge domed stick nest with a roof and side entrance, and pairs often gather noisily around carcasses and roadkill.
Habitat & range
Open country, sagebrush, streamside thickets, ranchland and towns across the western interior.
When you'll see it
Present all year in western, northern and central North America.
What it eats
Insects, carrion, small mammals, eggs, grain and fruit.
Did you know?
Its bulky domed nest takes over a month to build and is often reused for years by other species after the magpies move on.
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