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March 19, 2024

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Friday, January 28, 2022

Bird of the Week – Black-billed Magpie

WC is staying with corvids – birds of the crow family – a little longer, this time we’ll have a look at the Black-billed Magpie.

Black-billed Magpie, southwest of Delta Junction

Black-billed Magpie, southwest of Delta Junction

A bird of myth and legend, like the Common Raven, the species is expanding its range, breeding in the Fairbanks area in recent years. The species readily habituates to people, in fact, when Lewis and Clark first encountered magpies in 1804 in South Dakota, these birds were bold, entering tents to steal meat and taking food from the hand.

Magpies sometimes seem to WC to model themselves, showing off their flashy feathers for a photographer. How else do you explain this photo?

Black-billed Magpie, Nabesna Road, Alaska

Black-billed Magpie, Nabesna Road, Alaska

 

Camera geek stuff:

Photo #1: f8, 1/250, ISO 200
Photo #2: f11, 1/500, ISO 250

For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.

Comments

comments

Comments
6 Responses to “Bird of the Week – Black-billed Magpie”
  1. Mo says:

    If you talk to them, they talk back and follow you. Very curious birds. I once carried on a “conversation” with a magpie as it followed me along for about a mile.

  2. mike from iowa says:

    http://www.native-languages.org/legends-magpie.htm

    Right busy little Magpies.

  3. mike from iowa says:

    What’s the fable behind the long tail? Gotta be some legend passed down through the centuries.

  4. Zyxomma says:

    Yes, beautiful birds have been known to strike a pose. Stick with the corvids, WC, I love them all!! I don’t suppose you get jackdaws in AK.