Black-billed Magpie Images

Black-billed Magpie Images, Facts and Information:

Pica hudsonia

• Black-billed Magpies have bold black and white plumage with a very long tail, some areas of their plumage has blue, purple and green iridescence that can be seen in the right light. They are slightly larger than jays.
• Black-billed Magpies are from the corvid family and are very intelligent.
• Black-billed Magpies can be found throughout much of western North America and are not migratory.
• Black-billed Magpies can use scent to locate food. They consume a wide variety of food and will scavenge carrion. they will consume fruits, grains, insects, small mammals and they will also raid nests of other birds to eat the young and eggs. They will perch on large mammals like Bison to pick insects off of them.
• They lay between 7 to 13 eggs which take between 16 to 21 days to hatch. Their nests can take a long time to build because they generally build a dome over it to protect their young from aerial predators. The nests are constructed with sticks, mud or manure  and they line it with grasses. They are monogamous.
• They prefer open habitats such as prairies, grasslands, meadows, foothills and sagebrush steppes that offer some cover in the form of shrubs or trees. They adapt well to suburban habitats.
• A group of magpies can be called a “tribe”, “tittering”, “gulp”, “charm” and a “mischief” of magpies.
• They can live up to 15 years.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Black-billed Magpie photos.