Black-billed Magpies in New Mexico

Black-billed Magpies live in New Mexico all year — northern New Mexico. Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward carrion and seeds.

Arid to semi-arid, with Chihuahuan desert in the south and mountain forest above 7,000 ft.

Across New Mexico, 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 early summer followed by the July–August monsoon.

• Black-billed Magpies don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, american elderberry, chokecherry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Of the regional native plants we track for New Mexico, these 8 provide food or cover magpies use:

Magpies are intelligent and wary; they visit platform feeders near open country and pastures.

• Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Cracked corn.
• In New Mexico's winter: Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations.

Full diet breakdown for magpies · Best feeder for magpies