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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Katy Penland" data-source="post: 153948" data-attributes="member: 1268">Hey, juviemagpie!  Welcome to BirdForum and give my regards to my hometown.  I'll bet what you've found is a yellow-billed magpie, since that's the magpie sp that occurs in the central valley and the central California coast.  (Black-billed is usually only east of the Sierra Nevada and farther north.)  If it survives to adulthood, I understand they make good pets, are very smart and are good mimics.  The yellow-billed is also a gorgeous bird in adult plumage.  I've only seen one once, on an I-5 fence, and it was stunning in the sun.Re: outside cage.  You don't want to leave a cage door open because that will allow predators to get in that could injure or kill your bird.  Good luck with it, and please let us know how you're doing.Edit:  I hit "send" too soon.  Here's some info on what YBMA eats, if that is what yours turns out to be.  However, I would urge you to keep trying to get in touch with a local rehabilitator.Mostly: ·    Insects ·    Carrion Lesser Quantities of: ·    Seeds ·    Fruit ·    Nuts Major food items (by season): In general, mostly ground-dwelling invertebrates but also grain, acorns, carrion, and small mammals (references in Reynolds 1995). Breeding season: feeds wide variety of insects to nestlings (62 different families) with consistent use of certain orders (Lepidoptera, Orthoptera) and fluctuating use of others. As soil dries and summer progresses, eats many grasshoppers among other invertebrates. In fall, eats acorns, coffeeberry fruits and poison oak fruits. Also small amounts of domestic crops (e.g. wheat, oats). Carrion eaten largely in winter and spring. May depredate bird nests.</blockquote>

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