By Courtney Collins
Black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia) are found throughout Alberta and much of western Canada.1 While many regard these birds as pests, often due to their bold and mischievous nature, they are nothing short of incredible. There are ~18 species of magpie worldwide,2 but only the black-billed magpie is found in Canada.3 Magpies are in the same family as crows, jays, and ravens: Corvidae, known commonly as ‘Corvids.’ Bird species in this family are known for their exceptional intelligence, and watching a magpie can illuminate this.
Magpies are highly social birds and mate for life. Females and males build the nest together; nests can take up to 40 days to build and are dome-shaped to protect their young from predators above.4 As for their intelligence, new discoveries are being made all the time. To date, it has been shown that magpies can recognize themselves in a mirror5 – a type of intelligence previously only displayed in a handful of species including great apes, bottlenose dolphins, orcas, elephants, and humans over the age of 18 months.6
Magpies are also excellent mimics; able to mimic the sounds and voices of others – other birds, mammals, and even humans, along with abstract sounds.7 Magpies are also able to recognize individual human faces, with one researcher going so far as to have two humans dressed identically to confirm that indeed the magpie could tell which human was which.8
Another unique behaviour among the black-billed magpie is known as the ‘funeral.’ If a magpie comes across another magpie that has died, it will call loudly to attract other magpies. As many as 40 magpies will gather in the area and loudly call for 10-15 minutes.9 Witnesses to these funerals have also noted magpies flying away only to return with blades of grass to place next to the body – one might say this behaviour is quite similar to human grief.10 Moreover, magpies also have the ability to identify relationships between a known item and a new, unknown item – an intelligence known as abstract concept learning, not commonly seen in many species.10
Moreover, magpies also have the ability to identify relationships between a known item and a new, unknown item – an intelligence known as abstract concept learning, not commonly seen in many species.11
As you can see, magpies are incredible birds with amazing abilities and high levels of intelligence. You can find this amazing species across Alberta – if you spend some time observing these birds, you’ll surely be lucky enough to see and hear how incredible they truly are.
References
[1] All About Birds, “Black-billed Magpie”, The Cornell Lab, n.d. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-billed_Magpie/overview#
[2] Wikipedia, “Magpie”, Last modified May 11, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magpie
[3] Classic Collection of North American Birds, “Magpies”, CCNAB, n.d. https://www.birds-of-north-america.net/magpies.html
[4] Montana Natural History Center, “Black-Billed Magpies: Common But Uncommonly Smart”, Montana Natural History Center, October 8, 2019. https://www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/black-billed-magpies-common-but-uncommonly-smart/#:~:text=Black%2Dbilled%20Magpies%20are%20a,human%20and%20other%20animal%20sounds.
[5] Nebraska Game Parks, The Clever Minds of Corvids”, Nebraska Game Parks, January 19, 2024. http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/nebraskaland-magazine/the-clever-minds-of-corvids
[6] Noah Stryker, “Excerpt: The Thing With Feathers: The Suprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human”, Audubon, March 26, 2014. https://www.audubon.org/news/excerpt-thing-feathers-suprising-lives-birds-and-what-they-reveal-about-being
[7] Nebraska Game Parks, The Clever Minds of Corvids”, Nebraska Game Parks, January 19, 2024. http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/nebraskaland-magazine/the-clever-minds-of-corvids
[8] Noah Stryker, “Excerpt: The Thing With Feathers: The Suprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human”, Audubon, March 26, 2014. https://www.audubon.org/news/excerpt-thing-feathers-suprising-lives-birds-and-what-they-reveal-about-being
[9] All About Birds, “Black-billed Magpie Life History”, The Cornell Lab, n.d. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-billed_Magpie/lifehistory
[10] Noah Stryker, “Excerpt: The Thing With Feathers: The Suprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human”, Audubon, March 26, 2014. https://www.audubon.org/news/excerpt-thing-feathers-suprising-lives-birds-and-what-they-reveal-about-being
[11] John F. Magnotti, “Abstract-concept learning in Black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia)”, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 24 (2017): 431-435, https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-016-1132-4
