Yellow-billed Magpie in June
Where yellow-billed magpies are in June, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
June in the Yellow-billed Magpie's year
June is the height of the nesting season. Most resident and migrant species are raising young, migration is essentially over, and bird activity peaks at dawn. By late June the first fledglings of the year are everywhere — clumsy, loud, and constantly begging.
For the Yellow-billed Magpie specifically, June is a summer month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. 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 June
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In June, 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 June
Yellow-billed magpies are not nesting in June. The season runs March–May at mid-latitudes, and up to a month later in the North.
Outside the nesting season, yellow-billed magpies put their energy into feeding and flocking rather than territory and young — which is exactly what makes them easier to watch and attract this month.
What to feed in June
- Grasshoppers, beetles and carrion
A California Central Valley endemic that visits rural feeders and stockyards in noisy groups.
Expect to see adults carrying food away rather than eating it — they're feeding nestlings. Fledglings visiting feeders with their parents are a June highlight.
Full Yellow-billed Magpie diet guide → · Best feeder for yellow-billed magpies →
Watching yellow-billed magpies this month
Yellow-billed magpies are settled and predictable in June, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.
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 June?
In June, 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 June?
No — yellow-billed magpies typically nest March through May at mid-latitudes.
What do yellow-billed magpies eat in June?
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.