Crows and jays (Corvidae)
Baby magpies: from egg to fledgling
A Black-billed Magpie lays 5–8 eggs. They hatch after 16–21 days, and the young leave the nest 25–29 days later — about 41–50 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 5–8 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–21 days
- Time in the nest
- 25–29 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 41–50 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Huge domed stick nest in trees or shrubs
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (16–21 days): 5–8 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (25–29 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season magpies mainly eat grasshoppers, beetles and ticks.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young magpies are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When magpies nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Colorado (Apr) and latest in Alaska (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alaska | May–Jun |
| Alberta | May–Jun |
| British Columbia | May–Jun |
| Colorado | Apr–Jun |
| Idaho | Apr–Jun |
| Kansas | Apr–Jun |
| Manitoba | May–Jun |
| Montana | May–Jun |
| Nebraska | Apr–Jun |
| Nevada | Apr–Jun |
| New Mexico | Apr–Jun |
| North Dakota | May–Jun |
| Oregon | Apr–Jun |
| Saskatchewan | May–Jun |
| South Dakota | Apr–Jun |
| Utah | Apr–Jun |
| Washington | Apr–Jun |
| Wyoming | May–Jun |
| Yukon | May–Jun |
Found a baby Black-billed Magpie?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about magpies
Frequently asked
How long do baby magpies stay in the nest?
About 25–29 days after hatching. Eggs take 16–21 days to hatch, so it is roughly 41–50 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Black-billed Magpie lay?
5–8 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do magpies nest?
Huge domed stick nest in trees or shrubs.
What should I do if I find a baby Black-billed Magpie on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.