Black-billed Magpies in Idaho
When magpies are present in Idaho, when they nest, which native Idaho plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.
- Status in Idaho
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3b–7b
When to expect magpies in Idaho
Black-billed Magpies live in Idaho all year. Cold winters with inversions in the valleys; mountain finches and Bohemian Waxwings move into towns. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward carrion and seeds.
Semi-arid sagebrush plains along the Snake River and forested mountains to the north and center.
Nesting in Idaho
Across Idaho, magpies typically nest from April–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.
Hot, dry summers in the Snake River Plain and cool mountain summers.
- Black-billed Magpies don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, chokecherry, common hackberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Idaho plants that attract magpies
Of the regional native plants we track for Idaho, these 8 provide food or cover magpies use:
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.
Feeding magpies through the Idaho year
Magpies are intelligent and wary; they visit platform feeders near open country and pastures.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Cracked corn.
- In Idaho's winter: Cold winters with inversions in the valleys; mountain finches and Bohemian Waxwings move into towns.
Frequently asked
Are magpies in Idaho year-round?
Yes. Black-billed Magpies are year-round residents in Idaho.
When do magpies nest in Idaho?
Nesting in Idaho typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 16–21 days.
What native plants attract magpies in Idaho?
Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Chokecherry, Common hackberry are native plants in Idaho that provide food or cover for magpies.
Black-billed Magpies in other regions
Other backyard birds in Idaho
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 — Idaho
- 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.