Day 325#: Black-Billed Magpie
Today’s animal of the day is the Black-Billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia)!
Photo credit: Katheryn Keith
Looks like we have another Colorado corvid! Also known as the American magpie, this species of bird can be found throughout the western half of North America, all the way from Alaska to the northernmost tip of Texas. They are mostly black in color with iridescent bluish-green markings on their wings and tails, as well as white bellies, shoulders, and primary feathers. Unlike most corvid species, these magpies actually exhibit some form of sexual dimorphism. Males are usually a little larger and heavier than the females, but there is also a little overlap between the sizes of the largest females and smallest males. Other than that, there are no other physical differences between the sexes. The black-billed magpie was once considered a subspecies of the common magpie, but genetic testing in 2000 showed that it was a distinct species.
Photo credit: Yellowstone National Park
These birds usually prefer to inhabit more open areas with small clusters of trees or large bushes scattered about, however, they will migrate to someplace near a river or other source of water whenever it's the breeding season. Black-billed magpies are usually non-migratory, though some individuals like to travel short distances during the breeding season or to some place a little warmer during the winter. They will also regularly follow predators, like wolves, to scavenge off their kills. They also used to regularly follow bison herds during their migrations, since they liked to pick ticks and other parasites off of their bodies and would hitch a ride on their backs. Nowadays, since the American bison population was decimated by overhunting, they do this with domestic cattle instead. In addition to scavenging and picking off ticks, these birds are also very capable hunters and will prey upon a wide variety of lizards, frogs, insects, rodents, and other small animals.
Like Woodhouse’s scrub jay (which I talked about on day 323#) these birds are incredibly intelligent and like to store any extra food they have in little caches. Usually, these are little holes they make in either the ground or snow if there's any available. It's very common for black-billed magpies to steal food from the caches of other magpies if they get the chance, so they're usually very careful not to let any other magpies see where their caches are. Outside of the mating season they like to live in small loosely organized flocks and will forage for food alongside each other so they can warn one another of any danger nearby. These flocks are called “mischiefs”, and the magpies will often compete for which one is the most dominant leader magpie. The dominant magpie is allowed to steal food from the caches of the other magpies without them fighting back, and usually it's a younger male who has this position. This isn't because the older magpies can't hold their own against the younger ones, they just don't care if their food gets taken since they're usually better at getting more food for themselves and don't need to steal from others.
Photo credit: Dennis W. Donohue
Because they are so intelligent, these birds usually form very strong bonds with their mates and will often keep the same mate for their entire lives. However, divorces are possible, though they're somewhat rare. Interestingly, black-billed magpies in Alberta, Canada have some of the highest divorce rates of any other place where these birds are found, with around 63% of couples separating from each other. For context, a study done in South Dakota found that only 8% of couplings there ended in divorce. Black-billed magpies build dome-shaped nests at the tops of trees, and usually, you can find at least a couple of different nests within the same general area. Though this is just because they live in areas where the trees all tend to be clumped together, rather than them wanting to raise their young in a colony. The parent magpies will use mud to cement their nests to the base of the tree, and then use sticks, grasses, and roots to build the nest itself. It usually takes them around 40-50 days to complete their nests, but they'll also save time by just reusing an old nest and fixing it up for the new breeding season.
Photo credit: Woody Green
Clutches usually have around six eggs, which take 16 to 21 days to hatch. Only the females will sit on the eggs, and chicks once they hatch, though both parents will work to feed their young. Magpie parents are fiercely protective of their nests and will attack anything that gets too close by swooping down at them. It takes around 3-4 weeks for the fledglings to be able to fly, and around 2 months before they're ready to leave their parents. Sadly, only 3-4 magpies in every brood make it to adulthood, however, if they manage to survive, they can live for around 6 or 7 years in the wild.
I saw these birds throughout my trip to Colorado, I even managed to get a glimpse of a mated pair and their nest while I was at the Garden of the Gods.
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