{"id":59404,"date":"2019-08-09T05:16:49","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T11:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59404"},"modified":"2025-05-23T10:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T15:57:26","slug":"immature-black-billed-magpies-flocking-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/09\/immature-black-billed-magpies-flocking-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Immature Black-billed Magpies Flocking In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

Groups of magpies can be called a \u201ctittering\u201d, \u201cgulp\u201d, \u201ccharm\u201d, \u201cmischief\u201d or a “tribe” and yesterday I saw a large flock of Black-billed Magpies numbering more than 100 birds in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>. At first I thought there might be road kill ahead and that the magpies were scavenging it but as I drove slowly forward I realized that there wasn’t any road kill and that the magpies were foraging in the grass and sagebrush.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Black-billed Magpie with an eye on the sky – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

When I stopped to take photos I noticed that every Black-billed Magpie I scoped with my lens was an immature, hatch year bird. Young Black-billed Magpies gather in large flocks after they fledge and learn how to survive on their own and I was excited to come across one of those large flocks.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Black-billed Magpie portrait – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

How did I know that they were immature Black-billed Magpies? The easiest way I know how to determine that is their eye color, young Black-billed Magpies have violet-blue to blue-gray irises whereas the adults have dark brown to almost black irises. The young magpies also have bare areas on their faces that the adults don’t normally have.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Black-billed Magpie and green grasses – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I wish that there was an official collective noun for these large flocks of immature Black-billed Magpies instead of just the \u201ctittering\u201d, \u201cgulp\u201d, \u201ccharm\u201d, \u201cmischief\u201d or a “tribe” because these freakishly smart, beautiful youngsters gathering in such large flocks seem to almost beg for a special name of their own. A “rave” of young Black-billed Magpies? A “party”, “attitude” or a “rabble” would work for me.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Black-billed Magpie perched on sagebrush – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was delighted to photograph the few immature Black-billed Magpies that were close to me and to observe those who were further away foraging and chasing each other around in a field dotted with wildflowers, grasses, and sage. I love these corvids!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Black-billed Magpie photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was delighted to photograph the few immature Black-billed Magpies that were close to me and to observe those who were further away foraging and chasing each other around in a field dotted with wildflowers, grasses and sage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,245,1731,26,773],"tags":[1813,3940,4142,4247,7535,4245,6259,4109,5732,4341,4067,6005,4842,4069,4104,4167,4046,4057,4193],"class_list":["post-59404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-black-billed-magpies","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-black-billed-magpie","tag-canyon","tag-close-up","tag-flock","tag-flocking","tag-flocks","tag-forest-edge","tag-grasses","tag-green-grasses","tag-hatch-year-bird","tag-immature","tag-magpie","tag-magpies","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-pica-hudsonia","tag-portrait","tag-sagebrush","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-immature-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8034.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fs8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":104194,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/13\/young-black-billed-magpie-in-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":59404,"position":0},"title":"Young Black-billed Magpie In A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday I found this Black-billed Magpie perched in a serviceberry shrub high in the mountains and stopped to take photos of the young bird.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling young Black-billed Magpie in a serviceberry shrub, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/black-billed-magpie-immature-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4339.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/black-billed-magpie-immature-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4339.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Black-billed Magpie perched in a Utah Serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-fledgling-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-fledgling-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4688.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-fledgling-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4688.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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McPherson","date":"August 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Right now on Antelope Island State Park teenaged birds are molting into their adult plumage including young Black-billed Magpies.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Black-billed Magpie, Antelope Island State Park, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/black-billed-magpie-young-mia-mcpherson-5264.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/black-billed-magpie-young-mia-mcpherson-5264.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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McPherson","date":"February 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It was my first full spring in Utah, nearly 14 years ago, when my keen eyes were used to find my first Black-billed Magpie nest on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-billed Magpie in flight with nesting material for its nest, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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