Magpies eat almost anything. The birds probe the soil for earthworms and insects, catch flying insects on the wing, rob other bird's nests of eggs and young and feed on road-killed animals. Throughout the Central Valley, magpies take full advantage of the fresh fruits, grains and berries grown by farmers. In the fall, acorns are an important food source. It seems the magpie goes all out in every aspect of its lifestyle and nesting is no exception.
Magpies build huge, domed nests of loosely woven sticks.
Mud and grass line the nest cup where six to eight eggs are laid starting in late February. In the winter when the trees are bare, the large nests are easy to spot 30 to 80 feet off the ground in sycamore, cottonwood and oak trees. By their size, you may first think they are hawk nests, but look for the tell-tale dome, a good adaptation to protect the young from predators. Yellow-billed magpies are a beautiful and interesting member of the Central Valley and south coast range communities. They are well worth the effort to find and observe.