Black-billed Magpies in Utah
When magpies are present in Utah, when they nest, which native Utah plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–9a yard.
- Status in Utah
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 4a–9a
When to expect magpies in Utah
Black-billed Magpies live in Utah all year. Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward carrion and seeds.
Semi-arid to arid, with the Wasatch Range rising above the Great Basin and red-rock canyon country in the south.
Nesting in Utah
Across Utah, 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.
- Black-billed Magpies don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as chokecherry, ponderosa pine, gambel oak for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Utah plants that attract magpies
Of the regional native plants we track for Utah, 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.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.
Acorns for jays and woodpeckers across the southern Rockies.
Feeding magpies through the Utah year
Magpies are intelligent and wary; they visit platform feeders near open country and pastures.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Cracked corn.
- In Utah's winter: Cold winters with valley inversions; mountain birds descend to backyards.
Frequently asked
Are magpies in Utah year-round?
Yes. Black-billed Magpies are year-round residents in Utah.
When do magpies nest in Utah?
Nesting in Utah typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 16–21 days.
What native plants attract magpies in Utah?
Wild bergamot, Black-eyed Susan, Common sunflower, Little bluestem, Tall goldenrod, Chokecherry, Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak are native plants in Utah that provide food or cover for magpies.
Black-billed Magpies in other regions
Other backyard birds in Utah
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 — Utah
- 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.