From Opus

Photo by colorob

Alternative name: American Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

[edit] Identification:

A large (45-56cm length) dramatically contrasted black and white bird with iridescent feathers typical of the corvidae family, including greens and purples.

One of four passerines with tails longer than their bodies in North America; the others are Yellow-billed Magpie, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher.

Photo by CurtMorgan
Jackson, Wyoming, USA, May 2009

[edit] Similar Species

Similar to the Yellow-billed Magpie (P. nuttalli), but the former is to be found only in central California, whereas P. hudsonia has a far greater range, and is larger. It is the magpie to be found in the rest of the west and mid-west.

[edit] Distribution:

Western North America: southern Alaska, and from eastern British Columbia, eastward to western Ontario, southward through the western and midwestern United States to northern Arizona. In central California it is replaced by the Yellow-billed Magpie.
Locally common.

[edit] Taxonomy

This monotypic^[1] species was formerly considered conspecific with (same species as) Eurasian Magpie Pica pica.

[edit] Habitat

Open country with brush and groves of trees; common in Great Basin high sage desert and the plains states, especially in riparian areas.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually seen in small groups, with much interaction.

[edit] Diet

Perches in trees or bushes, dropping to the ground to forage for insects and larvae. A carrion scavenger; probably most often seen as it picks at roadkill in small groups.

[edit] Breeding

Builds large, intricate dome-shaped structures of mud and sticks for nesting.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

• List of references

[edit] External Links