{"id":7764,"date":"2013-03-06T04:47:34","date_gmt":"2013-03-06T10:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=7764"},"modified":"2025-05-23T11:01:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T16:01:37","slug":"the-iridescent-colors-of-a-black-billed-magpie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/06\/the-iridescent-colors-of-a-black-billed-magpie\/","title":{"rendered":"Iridescent colors of a Black-billed Magpie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IridescentBlack-billed Magpie – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the time Black-billed Magpies look like they are just black and white but if the bird’s pose and the light is just right there\u00a0can be\u00a0a wonderful flash of iridescent blue, green, teal, gold and even hints of purple.<\/p>\n

Yesterday this Black-billed Magpie turned in flight while I was photographing it\u00a0which allowed\u00a0me a great dorsal view\u00a0that showed the iridescent colors well. I do wish the out of focus bush hadn’t been in the frame or that it had been sharply in focus but I couldn’t resist sharing the image because of the beautiful colors.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

The background in this image is the frozen water of the Great Salt Lake.<\/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":"

Yesterday this Black-billed Magpie turned in flight while I was photographing it\u00a0which allowed\u00a0me a great dorsal view\u00a0that showed the iridescent colors well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,245,1022,26],"tags":[5180,1813,3981,2150,9069,4052,4122,2149,4005,2148,2151,6005,4842,4167,30,373],"class_list":["post-7764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-black-billed-magpies","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-back-view","tag-black-billed-magpie","tag-davis-county","tag-dorsal-view","tag-flash-of-color","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-full-extension","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-iridescence","tag-iridescent-colors","tag-magpie","tag-magpies","tag-pica-hudsonia","tag-utah-2","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-adult-flight-mia-mcpherson-9721.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-21e","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14750,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/14\/black-billed-magpie-in-flight-over-antelope-island-state-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":0},"title":"Black-billed Magpie in flight over Antelope Island State Park","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In all my visits to Antelope Island State Park I don't think there has been a single time when I haven't seen or heard 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":"Black-billed Magpie with wings fully spread in flight, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-4721.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-flight-mia-mcpherson-4721.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-4721.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-4721.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36979,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/03\/10\/an-immature-black-billed-magpie-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":1},"title":"An Immature Black-billed Magpie in Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 10, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this immature Black-billed Magpie in flight last September on Antelope Island State Park as it flew over a rabbitbrush that was just about to bloom.","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":"Immature Black-billed Magpie in flight, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-3642.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-3642.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-3642.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-juvenile-flight-mia-mcpherson-3642.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65764,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/28\/ten-years-of-photographing-nesting-black-billed-magpies-at-the-same-nest\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":2},"title":"Ten Years Of Photographing Nesting Black-billed Magpies At The Same Nest","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I am more than thrilled to once again observe and photograph nesting Black-billed Magpies using the same greasewood where I first photographed them almost ten years ago.","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":"Adult Black-billed Magpie lifting off from a bush with nesting material, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4871.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4871.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4871.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-4871.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1420,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/11\/22\/nesting-black-billed-magpies\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":3},"title":"Nesting Black-billed Magpies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 22, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"If I had not been paying attention to the first magpie's activity and behavior I would have missed the opportunity to photograph these birds and their nesting habits over the next several weeks.","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 landing with nesting material. Antelope Island State Park, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-mia-mcpherson-landing-nesting-4940.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-mia-mcpherson-landing-nesting-4940.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-mia-mcpherson-landing-nesting-4940.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/black-billed-magpie-mia-mcpherson-landing-nesting-4940.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20986,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/20\/a-partially-leucistic-black-billed-magpie\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":4},"title":"Partially Leucistic Black-billed Magpie","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed some Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park and one of them was partially leucistic","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":"Partially Leucistic Black-billed Magpie landing on Greasewood, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/black-billed-magpie-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-0732.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-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-0732.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/black-billed-magpie-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-0732.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/black-billed-magpie-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-0732.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":72014,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/07\/18\/black-billed-magpie-fledgling-perched-in-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":7764,"position":5},"title":"Black-billed Magpie Fledgling Perched In A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I liked this image of one of the fledgling Black-billed Magpies I photographed because of the serviceberry perch, the great eye contact I had with the young bird and its pose.","rel":"","context":"In "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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/black-billed-magpie-fledgling-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-4688.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7764"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7764\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}