Yellow-billed Magpie in El Paso County?

[behn...@gmail.com]

Hi all, I haven't posted on Cobirds in eons, but today I saw a second report of a Yellow-billed Magpie on eBird in the Springs from I believe the same person who reported it a couple of weeks ago. This time again, the yellow bill is mentioned. Has anyone in El Paso County tried to verify this? I understand that it would be a fairly mega-rarity, but... If not a YBMA, what is it?

Thanks,

Tom Behnfield

Lakewood

behn...@gmal.com

[Chase Konkle]

I'm from the Dallas Texas area visiting extended family here in Colorado Springs/El Paso county. I've taken the opportunity to do a bit of birding to see some birds I don't often get to see. Since I'm somewhat unfamiliar with the species of birds around here I didn't think much of it when I saw a Magpie with a yellow bill assuming they were fairly common around here. I was shocked to learn that a Yellow-billed Magpie sighting is quite rare in Colorado, but I'm sure that is what I saw. I didn't just get a small glimpse of it from a far, in fact I noticed it enough to point it out to my wife. I saw it on 7/1/25 between 1:35-1:45pm near Pulpit Rock Park while sitting in a dirt parking lot off of N. Nevada Avenue that sits between Winslow BMW of Colorado Spring, to the North, and Mountain Lion Park and Mountain Lion Fieldhouse, to the south. I hope you find this interesting.

Chase K.