Black-billed Magpie
Black-billed Magpie has surged: up 142% 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 934 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 142% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Black-billed Magpie Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black-billed Magpie is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 1.9 (95% range 1.4–2.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±24.1%, 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 | +98% | 1977 | 58 |
| Arizona | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| California | +101% | 1971 | 31 |
| Colorado | -46% | 1970 | 144 |
| Idaho | -60% | 1970 | 52 |
| Kansas | -97% | 1969 | 34 |
| Minnesota | +135% | 1980 | 23 |
| Montana | -31% | 1970 | 93 |
| Nebraska | -70% | 1969 | 37 |
| Nevada | +117% | 1970 | 38 |
| New Mexico | -41% | 1970 | 22 |
| North Dakota | -33% | 1969 | 31 |
| Oklahoma | -57% | 1971 | 3 |
| Oregon | -44% | 1970 | 72 |
| South Dakota | -4% | 1969 | 31 |
| Utah | -60% | 1970 | 90 |
| Washington | -31% | 1970 | 56 |
| Wyoming | -29% | 1970 | 118 |
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 | +98% | 1978 | 35 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -67% | 1974 | 16 |
| Great Basin | -44% | 1970 | 210 |
| Northern Rockies | -33% | 1970 | 182 |
| Prairie Potholes | +20% | 1969 | 50 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +914% | 1981 | 15 |
| Sierra Nevada | -50% | 1974 | 7 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -11% | 1970 | 180 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +17% | 1969 | 106 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -60% | 1969 | 67 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -99% | 1969 | 50 |
Black-billed Magpie Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 142% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.