Bird guide · Pica pica
Magpie
What the magpie eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from across the UK.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 17.7 in (45 cm)
- Eats
- kitchen scraps, peanuts, suet
- Feeds
- ground, tray/platform
- Most common
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland
Food
What do magpies eat?
At feeders, magpies take kitchen scraps, peanuts, suet.
Noisy and curious, with a chattering 'chac-chac-chac' call.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do magpies live?
Common across most of Britain and Ireland except the north and north-west of Scotland. By share of all bird sightings, magpies are most common in England (2.6%).
Nations where magpies are most common
- England2.6%
- Wales2.6%
- Northern Ireland2.5%
- Scotland1.8%
Share of all bird sightings in each nation that are magpies, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the magpie migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Share of all bird sightings in the UK that are magpies, by month.
Identification
How to identify the magpie
Adults: Black and white with a long tail; a purplish-blue sheen on the wings and green gloss on the tail.
Size: 17.7 in (45 cm)
On camera
Getting the magpie on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Magpie: questions
What do magpies eat?
At feeders, kitchen scraps, peanuts, suet.
Do magpies migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Where do magpies live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland.
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