
Should The Black-Billed Magpie Be Chestermere’s Bird?
When tossing unshelled peanuts into my feeders in the mornings, up to 6 energetic, long-gliding black-billed magpies make their appearance, expecting “breakfast”. I must say it gets noisy with these raucous, social birds, picking at each other to gain position in the feeding lineup. With Calgarians recently voting for the black-capped chickadee as their city’s official bird, I wondered what our official bird in Chestermere could be. Is the back-billed magpie a viable choice?

Much Maligned By Many And Also Adored By Some For Its Beauty And Energy
The black-billed magpie can’t help but elicit comments. A member of the corvid family that includes crows, jays and ravens, the adult magpie is about two feet in length and is covered with black and white colored feathers. A magnificent tail, often flashing its blue-green iridescent hues, combined with the boisterous set of calls including trills, whistles and I dare say, cackles, catches ones’ attention.
With fall migration nearly complete, one of the few species of birds we see into the winter, especially in the open areas around Lake Chestermere is indeed the magpie. Can a case be made for this corvid to be Chestermere’s official bird? Consider the following facts about the magpie.


Magpies Are Monogamous And The Male Will Guard His Female
Both sexes share in the construction of the nest domes, high above our view often in coniferous trees. Magpies work collectively to chase off raptors or at times to steal food from merlins. When one magpie finds a dead magpie, it calls loudly to other magpies. Together they form a flock of up to 30 or 40, calling out for 10 to 15 minutes before flying off quietly. Intellectually the black-billed magpie may be nothing short of a genius. 30% of a magpie’s body weight is its brain. The brain to body weight ratio is second to that of humans, great apes and whales. The magpie is one of but a few species that have self-awareness as demonstrated in mirror tests conducted by scientists. Indeed, the corvid family of birds may indeed be our most intelligent in North America. When seeing a magpie, know there may be much more going on inside that head of feathers.
Often Viewed Negatively For Consuming Eggs From Nests, Research Has Shown That Over 90% Of A Magpie’s Diet Consists Of Insects.
They do join together at carrion sites, picking at deceased deer or moose. Essentially, magpies are opportunistic feeders and were known to follow our indigenous tribes who hunted bison, feasting on remains of kills. Magpies even help out our moose and deer by hitching a ride and taking time to pick ticks from their backs.
So, I leave you with the thought – is the black-billed magpie potentially a candidate for our official city bird?
– Pictures & Article Provided By Don Cassidy