Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

Black-billed Magpies are remarkably intelligent and are among the few non-mammal species capable of recognizing themselves in a mirror.

Scientific name

Pica hudsonia

Taxonomy

Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Corvidae › Pica

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Population trend

stable

Biome

grassland

Habitat

Open woodlands, riparian thickets, sagebrush plains, farms, and suburban parks.

Diet

Omnivorous: consumes insects, carrion, seeds, fruit, small mammals, and the eggs of other birds.

Range

Western North America, Alaska, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains

Size

45-60 cm in length with a wingspan of approximately 60 cm.

Lifespan

4-6 years in the wild, though some reach 15 years.

Active

diurnal

Threats

Secondary poisoning from pesticides, habitat fragmentation, and West Nile virus.

Safe to approach?

Harmless and inquisitive. Observe from a distance of 10-15 feet. Do not offer human food, as it disrupts their natural diet. If a magpie 'dives' at you, you are likely near a nest; simply walk away calmly to give them space. They are not venomous and pose no threat to humans.

The black-billed magpie ( Pica hudsonia ), also known as the American magpie , is a bird in the crow family that inhabits the western half of North America, from Colorado, to southern coastal Alaska to northern California, northern Nevada, northern Arizona, northern New Mexico, central Kansas, and Nebraska. It is black and white, with black areas on the wings and tail showing iridescent hints of blue or blue-green. It is one of only four North American songbirds whose...

Photo: Rose Zappa, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

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