Shy and retiring they're not. Festooned with brilliant iridescent black and white feathers, a long tapered tail and a bright yellow beak, the yellow-billed magpie stands out in the farmlands and riparian forests it calls home. And, if their bright colors don't attract your attention, their scolding call will. Magpies are one of my favorite birds to watch. They travel and nest in colonies, so disputes are frequent and their feeding habits are diverse.
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.