Black-billed Magpies in Alaska
When magpies are present in Alaska, when they nest, which native Alaska plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 1a–8a yard.
- Status in Alaska
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 1a–8a
When to expect magpies in Alaska
Black-billed Magpies live in Alaska all year. Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward carrion and seeds.
Subarctic interior, temperate rainforest in the Southeast panhandle, and Arctic tundra on the North Slope.
Nesting in Alaska
Across Alaska, magpies typically nest from May–June. Nest site: huge domed stick nest in trees or shrubs. Females lay 5–8 eggs, incubate for 16–21 days, and young leave the nest after 25–29 days.
A short, explosive summer with near-continuous daylight compresses nesting into a few weeks.
- Black-billed Magpies don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, white spruce, tamarack for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Alaska plants that attract magpies
Of the regional native plants we track for Alaska, these 6 provide food or cover magpies use:
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.
Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.
Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.
Catkin seed for redpolls on the tundra.
Tall magenta spikes are a key northern hummingbird flower.
Feeding magpies through the Alaska year
Magpies are intelligent and wary; they visit platform feeders near open country and pastures.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Cracked corn.
- In Alaska's winter: Interior winters reach −40°F with under four hours of daylight; resident chickadees and redpolls depend on high-fat food.
Frequently asked
Are magpies in Alaska year-round?
Yes. Black-billed Magpies are year-round residents in Alaska.
When do magpies nest in Alaska?
Nesting in Alaska typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 16–21 days.
What native plants attract magpies in Alaska?
Paper birch, White spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb), Dwarf birch, Fireweed are native plants in Alaska that provide food or cover for magpies.
Black-billed Magpies in other regions
Other backyard birds in Alaska
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
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Alaska
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- 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.