10/26/24. Just a note on the intelligence and resiliency of our friendly black-billed magpies. They, obviously have been hanging around our bird feeders on the back porch. The micro-brained house finches or the endlessly cheerful chickadees, from time-to-time, flush off the same feeder, and periodically ram themselves headlong into a window. Usually, they lay sprawled on the deck for ten minutes or so, before regaining their composure, then flying away. Alas, the magpies have figured this out, and have taken to snatching a free meal. As the hapless finches are laying on the deck, doing their recuperation, the magpies hear the thud of the impact with the window, and come rushing in. At this point, when the finches are vulnerable, the magpies scoop them up, enjoying a free meal.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed magpies eating on various items. Because of this very-catholic intake of a wide variety of groceries (almost anything), I give them the highest marks among the bird world for their ability to cope. No telling what caloric intake they obtain from dumpster-diving out behind McDonalds – the leftover burger detritus and the greasy fries have gotta be good. I’ve photographed over 30 of them, comfortable and care-free, right among the golden eagles, gleaning meat from white-tailed deer, coyote carcasses, and beaver carcasses that I’ve put out for bait at trail cameras or that I’ve seen smeared on the roadways as roadkill. I’ve seen them scarfing jackrabbits, cottontails, skunks, muskrats, ‘coons, and all manner of flattened roadkill (including rattlesnakes). I’ve seen them catching and consuming field voles, one after another. They are the consummate robbers of trap bait of all kinds at trapsites. Last year I watched them mirror the movements of robins in the springtime yard, then when the robin would hesitate and extract a nightcrawler, watch the magpie confront the robin to within a few inches, steal the newfound morsel, consume it on the spot, then go back immediately to watching and mirroring the robins. Let the robin do the work, then they consume the prize. I’ve seen them decimate, in short order, domestic fruit trees, including apple, cherry, plum, and ripe apricots, picking them right off the trees (waiting, of course, ‘till the day of harvest to do their damage). On wild fruits, I’ve seen them decimate a chokecherry tree, elderberry, or serviceberry, of course, right before I’ve wanted to do the same, for wine-making. In the garden, they are a terror, consuming just about anything, especially the ready-to-be-picked melons (watermelons and cantaloupes) and the bright-red tomatoes. I’ve seen ‘em in the fields eating natural seeds, god-only knows what varieties. They are particularly hard on new chicks, plucking and eating them like popcorn when they first venture forth from the confines of the chicken coop. Only the shotgun seems to deter them.

They disappeared here have not seen one in 20 years before that you could not get away from the things.

I don't have those in the deep woods here , they seem to like more open areas. In my experience, anyway.

I do have gray jays, who often display some of the same habits as magpies.

I know someone who shoots magpies off his bait piles , in another state. They have evidently been only recently shown up in his area , and he dislikes them.

I guess they are in that same league as gray jays , crows and ravens.

Guarding berry and fruit trees would really be a challenge with enough of those around.

I lost a pet hamster that I took for a walk with me when I was little and magpies found it first. He survived, minus an eye, plus a brain injury.

I also had a magpie approach me one day in December at dusk and start "talking", like they do with each other. I took a step towards it, it jumped away, stopped and started talking again. I followed it and it led me to an albino rat that it had discovered. The rat had run away fom a research facility nearby and its feet and tail froze and it was stuck to ice near a wall with frozen blood, unable to move but still alive. I took the rat home with me and it lived a couple more years and was a nice pet. It was a strange experience. The only logical explanation that I have is that magpies use this behavior to attract big predators to potential prey that they're unable to tackle on their own for one reason or another. Plus they're intelligent and social so it may have been improvising.

I've never had a magpie mess with any of my trap sets (unlike smaller corvids that just plunge into traps), but they sometimes visit bait piles.

I watched one eat ripe mountain ash berries last week from my kitchen window, accompanied by several thrushes, but I've never seen them eat berries before. They're also common around landfills here but not as numerous as crows, kites and gulls.

My grandmother used to save salted herring scraps "sorokam" (for the magpies) and they recognized her and waited for these treats.

I have no doubt that they're the Einstein's of the bird world. Pretty amazing. They're the only birds I know of with a funeral dance over top of their fallen comrades. I've watched it several times. However, I've never seen them use a "tool" (stick or twig)for getting marrow out of a bone.

The crows impress me . I can leave 10 contractor bags full of garbage staged to go to the dump and they will put a hole in each one . The one bag with a burrito will be the one excavated

dogs had to argue with them over their food bowls. if its edible they will eat it.

Jack, I'd enjoy seeing video of their funeral dance. There probably isn't one made , but maybe a description would suffice ? I'd sure like to know.

Actually, there are quite a few funeral videos of magpies on youtube -google it.

I have seen them eat everything from bug to the eyes of new born sheep and cattle.

I googled that , very interesting. I didn't know they did this. Thank you, Jack. Always learning.

I have seen most of what has been mentioned. Amazing how fast they can find a scrap. Had them cleaning the bait out of all my dirt holes one year. Even the pipe dream pipes if using a one inch pipe. If a small pipe they stomped and scratched things up.
Ian Tyson song " MAGPIE " is good.

I think that they will eat everything. Back in the 1960's they were one of my main source of income at 10 cent bounty on them. With wire cage traps I killed lots and bought lots of 22 shells!

Magpies eat the eyes out of newborn calves. Don't see them around here anymore.



Charlie

Did the same thing as a kid in Southern Utah. The bounty was a dime a bird and a nickel an egg. My friend and I would raid their nests and shoot the adults for money for .22 bullets. We killed a LOT of them but it seemed to have no lasting impact on the population. There was just as many in the same places in subsequent years.

I have seen the "funeral dance" but din't recognize it as a common ritual for them.

Great post Jack! I always enjoy your posts and the way you share your knowledge. Thank you.

Lots of them around here Great for finding dead critters

Coyote of the sky.

Magpies are smart I had one as a pet for 7 years. It could talk and pretty well ruled the roost the dogs and the cats gave it a wide berth when it was out of her cage.

They've sure helped me pinpoint incoming coyotes when out in the desert calling coyotes. I like the rascals.