Yellow-billed Magpies are clever, colorful birds — and they’re only found in central California. Their hefty bodies are boldly patterned in black, white, and iridescent blue. Like their crow and jay cousins, these corvids are adventurous eaters that often forage on the ground in noisy groups. In California’s oak-dominated woods and grasslands, you’ll find them feasting on acorns, insects, grains, and anything else they can get their beaks on. Sadly, Yellow-billed Magpie populations have declined drastically in recent years. Now it’s up to us to step up and protect the remaining woodlands and savannas they need to thrive.

BirdNote is supported by Purgatory Auto Works and Dinosaur Farm, a small ranch in California transformed from a barren landscape to a vibrant oasis for wildlife. Learn more at Purgatory.org.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. 

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.