black-billed magpie

The black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a long-tailed bird belonging to the family Corvidae. It is a striking black-and-white bird, approximately 45 cm (18 inches) in length, with an iridescent blue-green tail. This species is found across much of North America, from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands eastward to the Great Plains of the United States.1

Magpies inhabit farmlands and open, tree-dotted country. Their diet is varied, including insects, seeds, small vertebrates, and the eggs and young of other birds. They also consume carrion and build large, round nests constructed from twigs and mud. It is important to note that Australasian "bell-magpies" are songbirds in the family Cracticidae and are distinct from the true magpies of the Corvidae family.12