Black-billed Magpie Population Analysis
Black-billed Magpie has surged: up 144% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Black-billed Magpie
The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) is a North American member of the Crows, Jays & Magpies (Corvidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the generalists.
- Size
- 10–27.5 in long (25–70 cm) — a medium to large songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- An opportunistic mix of insects, seeds, fruit and scraps.
- Range
- Recorded on 937 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 18 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Corvidae · Generalists
Notable Black-billed Magpie TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
Black-billed Magpie has surged in surveyed states: up 144% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Black-billed Magpie Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black-billed Magpie is projected to rise about 19% by 2030 — from 1.6 in 2025 to a central estimate of 1.9 (95% range 1.4–2.3). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±21.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Black-billed Magpie Is Detected
BBS routes recording Black-billed Magpie, sized by most recent count.
Black-billed Magpie Population Trend by State
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | +106% | 1977 | 58 |
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | +109% | 1971 | 31 |
| Colorado | -48% | 1970 | 145 |
| Idaho | -69% | 1970 | 52 |
| Kansas | -97% | 1969 | 34 |
| Minnesota | +117% | 1980 | 23 |
| Montana | -30% | 1970 | 94 |
| Nebraska | -69% | 1969 | 37 |
| Nevada | +160% | 1970 | 38 |
| New Mexico | -35% | 1970 | 22 |
| North Dakota | -28% | 1969 | 31 |
| Oklahoma | -57% | 1971 | 3 |
| Oregon | -44% | 1970 | 72 |
| South Dakota | -3% | 1969 | 31 |
| Utah | -63% | 1970 | 90 |
| Washington | -25% | 1970 | 56 |
| Wyoming | -36% | 1970 | 119 |
Black-billed Magpie Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCR 2 | -74% | 1985 | 11 |
| BCR 4 | +95% | 1978 | 35 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -61% | 1974 | 16 |
| Great Basin | -45% | 1970 | 210 |
| Northern Rockies | -37% | 1970 | 182 |
| Prairie Potholes | +32% | 1969 | 50 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +899% | 1981 | 15 |
| Sierra Nevada | -64% | 1974 | 7 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -12% | 1970 | 181 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +10% | 1969 | 108 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -61% | 1969 | 67 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -99% | 1969 | 50 |
Black-billed Magpie Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 144% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.