ExploreBirds

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

The Black-billed Magpie is a beautiful bird with shiny black and white feathers. They are known for their long tails and love to collect shiny objects, making them very curious and playful!

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The Black-billed Magpie has striking iridescent black plumage with a shimmering green and purple sheen, contrasting sharply with large white patches on its belly and wing primaries. Its most distinguishing feature is a very long, graduated black tail, often longer than its body.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderPasseriformesFamilyCorvidaeGenusPica
Black-billed Magpie
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Black-billed Magpie

Category

Birds

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

58

Interesting facts

Magpies are one of the few non-mammals that can recognize themselves in a mirror.

Magpies love shiny objects and are known to collect them, often hiding them in their nests.

These birds use mud to build huge dome-shaped nests, often reinforced with sticks and thorns!

They sometimes 'play dead' to trick predators into thinking they aren't worth chasing!

Special abilities

Ability

Clever Communicator

The Black-billed Magpie can mimic a wide range of sounds, including human speech, which helps them communicate with their flock.

Ability

Food Hoarder

Black-billed Magpies have excellent memory to store food in many secret caches, ensuring they have snacks for later.

Ability

Sharp Observer

Black-billed Magpies have sharp eyesight and intelligence to recognize individual human faces, helping them identify friends or foes.

Measurements & details

Length
45-60 cm
Wingspan
56-61 cm
Weight
0.16-0.25 kg
Lifespan
7-10 years
Top Speed
50 km/h
Clutch Size
5-9
Incubation
16-18 days

Diet & Feeding

These clever birds eat almost anything, from insects to seeds and even leftover food!

Primary Foods

  • insects
  • carrion
  • seeds
  • berries
  • small mammals
  • eggs

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Watch from a distance and don't try to touch or chase them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Black-billed Magpie?

The easiest way to identify Black-billed Magpie is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.

How long is Black-billed Magpie?

45-60 cm

What is Black-billed Magpie's wingspan?

56-61 cm

How much does Black-billed Magpie weigh?

0.16-0.25 kg

How long does Black-billed Magpie live?

7-10 years

How fast can Black-billed Magpie move?

50 km/h

What does Black-billed Magpie eat?

These clever birds eat almost anything, from insects to seeds and even leftover food!

Where is Black-billed Magpie usually found?

Grasslands

Snap Map

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Recent Snaps

Where to spot

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