Yellow-billed Magpie in April
Where yellow-billed magpies are in April, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
April in the Yellow-billed Magpie's year
April is when spring migration hits its stride. Waves of migrants move north on warm southerly winds, wintering birds leave for good, and early nesters are already on eggs in the South. Every week brings species that weren't there the week before.
For the Yellow-billed Magpie specifically, April is a spring month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 1 states and provinces where yellow-billed magpies occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where yellow-billed magpies are in April
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In April, yellow-billed magpies are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in April
April is inside the Yellow-billed Magpie nesting season. Nest: large domed stick nest high in a valley oak. Clutch 5–7 eggs, incubation 16–18 days, 1 per season.
The season is broadly synchronized across the range this month. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in April
- Grasshoppers, beetles and carrion
A California Central Valley endemic that visits rural feeders and stockyards in noisy groups.
Migrants arriving after long flights are hungry — feeders can be genuine lifelines during cold, wet spells that suppress insects.
Full Yellow-billed Magpie diet guide → · Best feeder for yellow-billed magpies →
Watching yellow-billed magpies this month
In April, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region yellow-billed magpies are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Yellow-billed Magpie month by month
Yellow-billed Magpie by state
Frequently asked
Where are yellow-billed magpies in April?
In April, yellow-billed magpies are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do yellow-billed magpies nest in April?
Yes — April falls inside the Yellow-billed Magpie nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do yellow-billed magpies eat in April?
Grasshoppers, beetles and carrion.
Sources
- Yellow-billed Magpie — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-billed Magpie life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-billed Magpie — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
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.