Fauna
Bird · GBIF taxon 5229489

Yellow-billed Magpie

Pica nuttalli

Also known as California Magpie

Yellow-billed magpies gather in gregarious family flocks across California's sunny oak savannas, foraging across open ground with purposeful strutting hops. Highly social and intelligent, they construct immense domed stick nests high in mistletoe clumps or sycamore crowns and perform elaborate group funeral gatherings around fallen companions. Their raucous chattering calls echo through the Central Valley, where they maintain tight communal roosts year-round.

EndemicIntelligentVocal
Yellow-billed Magpie reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Brooke J., some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
VulnerableConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXVulnerableRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Grasshoppers
  • Acorns
  • Carrion
Predators
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Great Horned Owl
  • Coyote
ThreatsWest Nile virus, habitat fragmentation, agricultural rodenticides, and urban development
HabitatsOak savannas, riparian woodlands, walnut orchards, and chaparral foothills
Life span10–15 years
Classification
  1. FamilyCorvidae
  2. SpeciesPica nuttalli
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
What to notice
Look for glossy black-and-white plumage with iridescent greenish-blue wings and a bright yellow beak and eye patch.
Support conservation
Give active nesting colonies space and report any dead individuals to local wildlife agencies to track disease transmission.
Responsible observation
  • Binocular Distance: Watch from 15 to 20 meters away to observe natural foraging and social interactions without causing distress.
  • Nesting Season: Avoid lingering beneath large stick nests in spring, as breeding pairs are sensitive to tree-base activity.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…