# 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! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 58 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Black-billed Magpie](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Black-billed_Magpie%252C_Alaska_35837387662.jpg&width=800) Photo: watts_photos, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black-billed_Magpie%252C_Alaska_35837387662.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Corvidae - **Genus:** Pica ## 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 - **Clever Communicator:** The Black-billed Magpie can mimic a wide range of sounds, including human speech, which helps them communicate with their flock. - **Food Hoarder:** Black-billed Magpies have excellent memory to store food in many secret caches, ensuring they have snacks for later. - **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 - **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 - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — Adult magpies and their young can be prey for these large owls. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Coyotes may prey on magpies, especially when they are on the ground. - **Depends on:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Magpies often scavenge on carrion from deer, especially during winter. - **Eats:** [Migratory Locust](https://www.snappit.app/explore/migratory-locust) (*Locusta migratoria*) — Magpies consume many insects like locusts, helping control pest populations. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## 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? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## Where to spot - [Brooks River Archeological District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooks-river-archeological-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [City Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-park) — Colorado, US · Park - [Colorado National Monument Visitor Center Complex](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colorado-national-monument-visitor-center-complex) — Colorado, US · National Park - [Dinosaur Ridge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dinosaur-ridge) — Colorado, US · Natural Landmark - [North Entrance Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-entrance-road-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [P Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/p-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Black-billed Magpie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-billed-magpie) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Black-billed Magpie: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-billed-magpie)