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.