Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a common crows, jays, and magpi found in 4 countries, weighing about 177 g. The black-billed magpie, also known as the American magpie, is a bird in the corvid family found in the western half of North America.
About the Black-billed Magpie
The black-billed magpie, also known as the American magpie, is a bird in the corvid family found in the western half of North America. It is black and white, with the wings and tail showing black areas and iridescent hints of blue and blue-green. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of Pica pica, but was separated as a species in its own in 2000 based on genetic studies.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-billed magpie is an unmistakable bird within its range. It is a medium-sized bird that measures 45–60 cm (18–24 in) from tip to tail. It is largely black, with white scapulars, belly, and primaries, and the wings and tail are an iridescent blue-green. The tail is made up of long, layered feathers, the middle pair of which extend further than the rest. The beak is uniformly black, oblong, and weakly curved toward the tip. Adults also have black irises. Voice: The vocalizations of the black-billed magpie consist of a number of calls variously described as tweets, coos, purrs, shrills and squawks, but the most common is an alarm call, called a chatter, that is described as a ka-ka-ka-ka, sometimes preceded with a skah-skah. This call is very different from that of the Eurasian magpie, but is similar to that of the yellow-billed magpie.
What the Black-billed Magpie sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Singapore, United Kingdom.
When to see it
The Black-billed Magpie can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-billed Magpie?
- The black-billed magpie is an unmistakable bird within its range. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-billed Magpie?
- The Black-billed Magpie is a medium sized bird weighing about 177 g.
- Where can you see a Black-billed Magpie?
- The Black-billed Magpie occurs in 4 countries, including the United States and Canada.
- What does a Black-billed Magpie sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Black-billed Magpie on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Black-billed Magpie?
- The Black-billed Magpie is most easily confused with the Oriental Magpie, the Maghreb Magpie and the Black-rumped Magpie.
- Is the Black-billed Magpie endangered?
- The Black-billed Magpie is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-billed Magpie for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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