Found in semi-open fields, meadows, farmlands, forest edges, along stream sides, the handsome bird from last week’s puzzler is a Black-Billed Magpie, Pica hudsonia. Magpies have a varied diet consisting of both plants and animals, including caterpillars, beetles, bugs, flies, grasshoppers, carrion, bird’s eggs or babies, small snakes or rodents and also nuts, berries and seeds. They can sometimes be seen on top of large mammals like bison or moose in order to collect and eat their ticks. Unlike many other birds they have a good sense of smell which helps them locate food.
I have never seen one of their nests, only photos, but they are quite elaborate, sometimes taking as long as 40 days to build. They are huge, globular structures made with sticks –as large as 3 feet across, with an entrance on each side. According to Audubon, “Inside the canopy is a cup-shaped nest with base of mud or manure and lining of weeds, rootlets, grass, and hair. Both sexes help build nest.”
Magpies mate for life and are highly social birds, often seen in large flocks, especially sitting on fence posts or trees in the middle of meadows. It’s impressive to see a whole flock of them!
Something interesting I learned about magpies in my research is that they, like other Corvids (ravens, crows and jays) will sometimes conduct “funerals” for dead family members. When one magpie discovers a dead magpie, it will begin calling loudly. Other magpies gather and will circle the dead bird, all calling, and this may last for as long as ten to fifteen minutes with as many as 40 birds taking part. Have you ever seen this? I have not, but think it would be interesting to witness it. Usually when I hear a group of crows or ravens calling loudly I look up, not down. Perhaps I have witnessed a funeral, and just didn’t know it.
Ready for another puzzler? Our next one is a video puzzler, of another bird that lives out west.
Fascinating
As always, thanks for reading.