Monday, June 20, 2016

Back in South Dakota...and Magpies!

It's been weeks since I left the crows of Grand Forks.  I think about crows and the interesting things they do.  I long to be with them again.  I'm sure I will...one day. I decided to keep the blog going because there is still very much to say about crows...about the whole Corvid family.

Magpies are VERY human-like. They are quirky and mischievous.  They'll work together, in cunning fashion on a poor, unsuspecting creature to take its food away.  They can talk like humans by imitating the voices they hear.  Magpies even hold funerals for members of their species.

Magpies are gorgeous birds.  The wings and tails of these black and white birds sport a shiny greenish-blue hue when the sun shines on them just right.  They have extremely long tails.  Black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia) have black beaks.  There is bare skin near the eye that is also black.  Their yellow-billed counterparts (Pica nuttalli) are smaller.  The area of bare skin near the eye is much more pronounced, being yellow, and different birds show that the patch of skin varies in size and shape.

Black-billed magpies and yellow-billed magpies can both be found in California.  While black-bills can also be found in the western half of the United States and all over the world, yellow-billed magpies can only be found in California.

The holding of funerals for magpies who have passed away is an action that has been covered by various people. Dr. Bekoff of the University of Colorado states that "magpies feel grief and even hold funeral-type gatherings for their fallen friends and lay grass 'wreaths' beside their bodies" (The Telegraph, 2009).  Dr. Bekoff goes on to describe a funeral he witnessed:

"One approached the corpse, gently pecked at it...and stepped back.  Another magpie did the same thing...Next, one of the magpies flew off, brought back some grass and laid it by the corpse.  Another magpie did the same. Then all four stood vigil for a few second and one by one flew off" (The Telegraph, 2009).

To read more about magpies found in American visit the following:
 



Sources
Audubon, Guide to North American Birds
- Yellow-billed Magpie:  Pica Nuttalli
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-billed-magpie
- Black-billed Magpie:  Pica Hudsonia
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-billed-magpie

Cornell University, All About Birds
- Black-billed Magpie:  Pica Hudsonia
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-billed_Magpie/id 
- Yellow-billed Magpie:  Pica Nuttalli
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-billed_Magpie/id

The Telegraph
'Magpies Feel Grief and Hold Funerals'- (Oct 21, 2009)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/6392594/Magpies-feel-grief-and-hold-funerals.html

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Living with Wildlife
Magpies
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/magpies.html#viewing


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