 Yellow-billed
Magpie, Pica nuttalli
 The
Yellow-billed magpie is a large and beautiful bird. Its long
black tail is iridescent and its wing feathers are shades of
blue, green and white. The characteristic that makes them so
special is their yellow beak. There is a similar and more wide
spread species with a black bill. The yellow billed magpie is
found only in California.
They are highly intelligent. Once I was out
for a walk and I heard one singing in a pine tree. I thought
someone had lost a parrot. They are excellent mimics.
Nesting habitat used by the Yellow-pilled
magpie
The Yellow-billed magpie nests up high in a
tree, usually a valley oak.
 Diet
of the Yellow-billed magpie
The yellow-billed magpie feeds mainly on
animal matter, including insects, bird eggs, nestling, and
carrion, They will also eat acorns, seeds, grass, and berries.
They will also eat poisoned grains left for killing ground
California ground squirrels. Large portions of a population get
wiped out.
(When my brother and I were little we used to
call them maggot pies, because they ate dead things.)
Range of the Yellow-Billed Magpie
This is a special bird to us, here in
California, because it is endemic to this region, that is it is
found only here. It inhabits the central valley and coastal
valleys of California, preferring open oak woodlands.
Habitat /plant community used by the
Yellow-billed Magpie
The Yellow-billed magpie likes open oak
woodlands. They like open areas near roads where ether is plenty
of road kill to scavenge.
Northern
Oak woodland
Central
Oak woodland
Niche filled by the yellow billed magpie
The Yellow billed magpie likes open oak
woodlands near roads with road kill.
Migration of the Yellow-billed magpie
The yellow-billed magpie is a resident. They
move around some in winter in search of food.
 How
to attract the Yellow-billed magpie to your garden
Magpies are not really at home in a garden
setting. They need big open spaces with smatterings of trees.
Most gardens are to shrubby and dense for their taste. However
you might get one stopping by if you have an oak in your yard.
They seem to prefer the valley oak, Quercus
lobata This may be because this oak like the lower open
valleys just like the magpies. These large stately trees are
deciduous and they are good near your home. They let in the much
needed sun light in the winter and shade your home in the hot
summer.
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