Sky Dancers
A black-billed magpie perches on a branch during a light snowstorm.
Black-billed magpies are some of the more common birds found in western North America but with their vibrant colors and long, flowing tails, they still appear exotic, especially to those visitors who aren’t used to seeing them on a regular basis. Medium sized members of the Corvid family, they share the intelligence their relatives, ravens and jays, are known for.
A magpie and a golden eagle appear to ignore each other as they share the top of a limber pine tree.
Magpies seem to have a complicated relationship with other species in the area. They can often be seen dive-bombing the resident golden eagle pair in the air but seem to sit calmly beside the much larger birds when they are grounded. Perhaps the magpies realize the limitations the eagles face in their ability to go after prey from a seated position.
During the months of spring when the cottontails are guarding their nests, the magpies and the bunnies act as mortal enemies. The birds are quick to grab a young kit from the nest and waste no time killing and eating the helpless baby. The mama cottontails seem to recognize the danger and will attack a magpie that makes the mistake of landing too close, even though the species co-exist quietly the rest of the year.
Magpie dining on a mouse.
Magpies are omnivores which is a huge benefit in that they have a variety of options when it comes to finding a meal. But they are experts at nest robbing and will raid the nests of other birds and small mammals at every chance.
A magpie nest in a large Douglas fir tree not far from our house.
A close-up of the nest showing two likely entrances, one top and one bottom.
Magpie nests are works of art although many would claim it to be abstract. Most are a couple feet across and another foot in height but the one above that I photographed a couple days ago near our house is much larger. I have watched as magpies come back to re-use a nest year after year and I suspect this one has been added to a little bit each time.
Both the males and females work together to construct the nest. Once the site has been chosen, the male concentrates on the exterior structure while the female spends her time working on the more traditional mud shaped cup at the center of the interior where she will lay the eggs. There are often two ways in and out of the nest, both well hidden to prevent the magpies suffering the fate they inflict on other bird species.
The chicks are born naked and blind, relying on their parents to feed them for the first few weeks of their lives inside the nest and several more weeks after they have fledged. The youngsters are noisy and active, demanding to be fed at all hours as long as it is light outside. They will often hang together as a family for the first year, only dispersing when it is time for the younger generation to find a mate of their own.
To hear more about magpies in this area, be sure to listen to my podcast on the subject by clicking the button below, or by downloading the latest episode from Apple Podcasts or Spotify.