Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Eurasian magpie is the long-tailed black-and-white magpie of Europe and northern Asia, and it isn't found in the wild in the United States. The Black-billed Magpie of the western United States was treated as the same species until 2000, and the two still look almost identical. It's one of the few animals known to recognize itself in a mirror.

Appearance

Appearance: About 17–18 in (44–46 cm) long, more than half of it tail, with a wingspan of 20–24 in (52–62 cm). Black with a green and purple sheen, a white belly and white shoulder patches; the open wings flash white.

Look-alikes

Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia

Almost identical in photos. Any black-and-white magpie with a black bill seen in the western United States or Canada is a Black-billed Magpie, not a Eurasian magpie; the two differ mainly in calls and social behavior.

Why they get mixed upThey were considered one species until 2000.

Yellow-billed MagpiePica nuttalli

Has a bright yellow bill and yellow skin near the eye, and lives only in California.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: open country with scattered trees
parks and gardens
towns and suburbs
Range: Across temperate Eurasia, from Ireland, Spain, and Portugal east to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. It does not live in North America.
Seasonal presence: A year-round resident wherever it lives.
Preferred conditions: Prefers open land dotted with trees and avoids both treeless areas and dense forest. In Europe it often nests at high density in suburban parks and yards.

Behavior

Diet: Eats almost anything: insects, small mammals, eggs and nestlings of other birds, carrion, acorns, grain, and food scraps.
Senses: Considered one of the smartest birds. In a 2008 study in Germany, magpies tried to remove a mark on their bodies that they could only see in a mirror, the first evidence of mirror self-recognition outside mammals.

Life cycle

Breeding season: In Europe, eggs are usually laid in April.
Nest: A bulky ball of thorny twigs high in a tree, roofed over with a single side entrance. In 2023 a nest in Antwerp, Belgium, was found built with about 1,500 metal anti-bird spikes.
Clutch size: Usually 5–6 eggs (3–10)
Incubation: 21–22 days, by the female
Fledging: About 27 days; parents keep feeding the young for several more weeks.
Lifespan: Birds that survive their first year live about 3.7 years on average; the record is 21 years 8 months.

Name and classification

About the name: This species once included magpies from North Africa to East Asia. A 2018 genetic study of all magpies led to the Maghreb, Asir, Black-rumped, and Oriental Magpies being recognized as separate species. The North American Black-billed Magpie was split off earlier, in 2000, mainly because of differences in calls and behavior. Surprisingly, the Eurasian magpie is genetically closer to the American magpies than to the Oriental Magpie of Korea and China.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: In Britain and Ireland, the counting rhyme "One for sorrow, two for joy" links the number of magpies you see to your fortune.
Its reputation for stealing shiny things inspired Rossini's opera The Thieving Magpie, but an experiment published in 2015 found no evidence for the habit.