What bird is black and white in Colorado?

Colorado is home to a diverse array of bird species, from small songbirds to large raptors. Among the many birds that can be found in the state, one species in particular is very recognizable for its distinctive black and white plumage – the Black-billed Magpie.

The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a mid-sized corvid bird indigenous to western North America. It has striking black and white feathers, a long black tail, yellow eyes, and a black bill. In Colorado, Black-billed Magpies are a fairly common resident bird that can be seen across much of the state.

Identifying Features of the Black-billed Magpie

The Black-billed Magpie has several key identifying features:

Coloration – Black-billed Magpies have predominantly black and white plumage. The head, breast and underside are solid black, while the back, wings and tail are black with large white patches. The shoulders and underside of the wings are also white.

Size – These birds measure 16-24 inches in length and weigh 5-8 ounces. They have a wingspan of around 22-26 inches. Compared to other common Colorado birds, they are noticeably larger than American Robins but smaller than crows.

Bill – As the name suggests, Black-billed Magpies have solid black bills. The bill shape is long, straight and robust.

Tail – Their tails are extremely long for a songbird, measuring up to 12 inches. The black tail has iridescent purplish-blue feathers.

Legs and feet – Their legs and feet are black.

Behavior – On the ground, they hop and walk steadily. In flight, they flap continuously with quicker, shallow wing beats.

Range and Habitat

In Colorado, Black-billed Magpies live across the western two-thirds of the state. They range from the grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains to the mountain parks and forests further west.

Some key areas where they can reliably be found include:

– Front Range cities like Fort Collins, Boulder and Colorado Springs
– Rural plains of Weld, Morgan, Logan, Washington, Yuma counties
– Foothills west of Fort Collins and Boulder
– Mountain valleys of central Colorado like South Park
– Western Slope cities like Grand Junction and Montrose
– River bottoms of the Colorado, Gunnison, and Rio Grande rivers

Black-billed Magpies occupy open habitats with scattered trees or shrubs. This includes grasslands, agricultural areas, riparian zones along streams and rivers, open woodlands, parks, and mountain meadows. They avoid dense forest but can live in urban and suburban environments where trees are present.

In the winter, they may wander more widely in search of food but still frequent areas with trees and shrubs.

Diet

The Black-billed Magpie is an omnivorous generalist, consuming a wide variety of both plant and animal material. Their diet includes:

– Seeds and grains
– Fruits, berries and nuts
– Small mammals like mice, voles and rabbits
– Small birds and eggs
– Insects like grasshoppers, crickets and beetles
– Carrion and food waste

Magpies often forage on the ground, hopping along and scanning for food items. They sometimes dig through soil and leaf litter searching for invertebrates. While perched in trees and shrubs, they may also look for fruits and berries to eat.

In urban and suburban areas, Black-billed Magpies will scavenge for scraps and trash. They are attracted to food like pet food, birdseed, and garbage. This sometimes brings them into conflict with humans.

Nesting and Reproduction

Black-billed Magpies build large, domed nests high up in trees using twigs and mud. The nest may measure up to 2 feet across and can be reused and added onto year after year.

Nest building starts in early spring, from late March to April in Colorado. The female lays 6-9 eggs which she incubates for 16-21 days while the male brings food. The chicks hatch out naked and helpless but grow quickly, able to leave the nest at around 4 weeks old.

Magpies may raise one or two broods per breeding season. Some key facts about their nesting and reproduction include:

– Nest sites are usually 15-50 feet high in large conifers or cottonwoods
– Both males and females help build the nest
– Only the female incubates eggs
– Incubation lasts 16-21 days
– Chicks fledge around 28 days after hatching
– Pairs mate for life and may reuse the same nest over years
– Often raise 2 broods per year from late March to July

Magpies and Humans

Black-billed Magpies are highly intelligent birds that have adapted well to living in close proximity with humans. However, they are sometimes viewed as pests:

Pros:

– Entertaining to watch their playful behavior
– Help control pests like mice and insects
– Scavenge waste and clean up garbage
– Folklore portrays them as charmingly mischievous

Cons:

– Damage gardens and crops looking for food
– Scavenge pet food left outdoors
– Occasionally prey on eggs and nestlings of songbirds
– Large, messy nests built on houses or power poles

Magpies are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is illegal to harm them, their eggs or active nests. To prevent conflicts, any exposed food sources should be cleaned up and secured. Harassment or lethal control require permits. Overall, their beneficial qualities seem to outweigh problems they cause in most cases.

Magpie Vocalizations and Display

Black-billed Magpies have a wide repertoire of vocalizations. They produce various caws, whistles, whines, clicks, and chatter calls. Their most common sound is a loud, harsh “wraah-wraah” or “mak-mak” given in flight or when perched.

Magpies are engaging to watch as they adopt intriguing postures and perform interesting displays:

– Flicking wings and fanning tail while standing erect
– Bowing forward while rapidly fluttering wings
– Hopping sideways while flipping tail up
– Mock fighting by clutching bills and tumbling across ground

These behaviors are associated with courtship rituals and territoriality. Groups may chase, dive bomb, or mob potential intruders or predators.

Unique Traits and Facts

Some additional interesting facts about Black-billed Magpies:

– Their brain to body ratio equals that of great apes and cetaceans
– Use tools to probe into holes searching for food
– Known for thieving and hoarding shiny objects
– Only North American corvid with yellow eyes as adults
– Juveniles undergo a partial molt into pied plumage before gaining black and white adult feathers
– Will sometimes roost communally in dense thickets during winter
– Oldest recorded wild magpie was over 12 years old
– Appear in myths and legends of native Plains Indian tribes

Conclusion

With their bold black and white patterning, rapacious scavenging habits, and raucous behavior, Black-billed Magpies are one of Colorado’s most recognizable and fascinating bird species. They thrive in close proximity to humans across an expanse of foothills, plains, and mountain valleys. Magpies play an important ecological role while providing endless entertainment with their loud vocalizations and social antics. Despite occasional conflicts, most Coloradoans welcome the presence of these highly adapted native birds on the local landscape.

Key Identification Features

• Black head, breast, belly
• White shoulders, back, rump, wing patches
• Very long, iridescent black tail
• Yellow eyes
• Black legs and bill

Behavior and Habits

• Gregarious – often found in loose flocks
• Musical variety of loud calls and vocalizations
• Forage by hopping on ground searching for food
• Omnivorous – eat grains, fruits, carrion, rodents, insects, etc.
• Build large, domed stick nests high in trees
• May reuse nest over multiple years
• Mate for life
• Males feed incubating females
• Females brood and care for altricial young
• Young fledge nest around 28 days after hatching
• Curious and playful

Where to See in Colorado

• Denver metro – parks, neighborhoods
• Eastern plains – rural areas with scattered trees
• Foothills west of Fort Collins and Boulder
• Mountain valleys – South Park, San Luis Valley
• Western Slope – Grand Junction, Montrose, river bottoms

Conservation Status

• Least Concern on IUCN Red List
• Protected in U.S. under Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Security threats include habitat loss and poisoning from pesticides/rodenticides