Black-billed Magpie - history - 2nd Monroe County Record

[ROBERT SPAHN]

    For those with some interest in local birding history, yesterday's Black-billed Magpie was the 2nd documented Monroe County record.

The first was spring of 1949, March or April, illustrating the issue with records and copies through time.

    The information copied below is from a very thorough assembly of local records through about 2007 by Bob Marcotte. Available to the 

interested (so far, few).

Bob Spahn, rsp...@prodigy.net

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia 

      In the spring of 1949, Walt Listman saw one of these western birds flying near Braddock Bay.

      That much seems clear. The details, however, are anything but clear. Two different accounts exist.

      Edson wrote – and the Monroe County annotated list concurs – that the sighting was 1 April 1949 

when Listman “had the good fortune of seeing this bird following a flock of migrants flying low over East 

Manitou Road at a distance of not more than 75 feet.” (WBR, 30 April 1956 and 4 April 1949; AL p. 41)

      Beardslee and Mitchell give the date as 20 March 1949, and say the magpie was flying east behind 

the crows “over Lake Ontario off the west spit at Braddock’s Bay.” John Bull (1974) repeats the same 

version. (B&M, p. 319; Bull, p. 396)

    In any event, it was our first and only record in this region of a bird that often wanders, but has also 

been known to escape from captivity.

 Background

 

     These birds can be as bold as their plumage: when Lewis and Clark first encountered magpies in 1804 in 

South Dakota, the birds entered tents to steal meat and took food from the hand, notes Charles H. Trost in his 

profile of this species for The Birds of North America series.  Various subspecies can be found throughout northern 

Europe and in Asia, with probable connections via the Bering Land Bridge to the North American population. 

These birds were formerly closely associated with Native Americans, following them on their bison hunts to feed 

on the refuse. With the demise of the bison, this species retreated from many parts of its former range. These birds 

were also poisoned by the thousands to prevent them from consuming bait used to control coyotes. Nonetheless 

this species has recently expanded its range in Minnesota, Alberta and parts of California and Arizona. Wanders 

irregularly in winter to the Pacific Coast and other areas just outside of its normal range, “but the many records from 

farther east are suspect – may be escaped captives.”  (BNA 389: 1-3)

 

Status

   

   Exotic, very rare visitor.

 

Occurrence

 

    One record:

1.      One 20 March or 1 April 1949 (Listman) near Braddock Bay.

[Stephen Taylor]

Thanks for that history, Bob. Interesting that the one report is from April Fool’s Day. Very confusing historical account. 

Steve Taylor 

Sent from my iPhone

On May 23, 2024, at 7:30 AM, ROBERT SPAHN <rsp...@prodigy.net> wrote:



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