Black-billed magpie



Black-billed magpie, March 13, 2024, Fargo Line Near Blenheim, Ontario.

Followed up on a report of a black-billed magpie in the neighbourhood. Rare here, common further west and north.

Got 2 for the price of 1

Not a super shot but you take that you can get.


Pica hudsonia

The Black-billed Magpie frequently picks ticks from the backs of large mammals, such as deer and moose. The magpie eats the ticks or hides some for later use, as members of the crow and jay family often do with excess food. Most of the ticks, however, are cached alive and unharmed, and may live to reproduce later.

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