How to attract magpies to your yard
Black-billed Magpies respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 19 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Black-billed Magpie is a year-round resident in 19 states and provinces, including Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and 13 more — there, a yard can host it in every season.
Plant what magpies use
These native plants are tied to the Black-billed Magpie in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 17 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Common sunflower Helianthus annuus | Perennial | 15 | Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed. |
| Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial | 14 | Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows. |
| Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Perennial | 14 | Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos. |
| Chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Shrub | 12 | Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load. |
| Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima | Perennial | 11 | Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter. |
| Paper birch Betula papyrifera | Tree | 9 | Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter. |
| Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 8 | Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load. |
| American elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | 6 | Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species. |
| New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | Perennial | 6 | Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, shrub, tree). Layering matters: mixing perennial, shrub, tree gives magpies food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Omnivore — insects, carrion, seeds and small animals.
- Warm months
- Grasshoppers, beetles and ticks
- Cold months
- Carrion and seeds
- At feeders
- Suet, Peanuts, Cracked corn
Feeder style matters as much as food: platform / tray feeder is the first choice for this bird. Magpies are intelligent and wary; they visit platform feeders near open country and pastures. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Huge domed stick nest in trees or shrubs.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 5–8 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–21 days
- Nestling period
- 25–29 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around April in Colorado but not until May in Yukon. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.
Frequently asked
What attracts magpies to a yard?
Food they actually eat (suet, peanuts, cracked corn), native plants such as Wild bergamot, Common sunflower, Black-eyed Susan, clean water and suitable nesting cover: huge domed stick nest in trees or shrubs.
What plants attract magpies?
Across the Black-billed Magpie's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting magpies?
Nesting starts around April in Colorado and as late as May in Yukon. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Black-billed Magpie — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-billed Magpie life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-billed Magpie — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.