West · Central Flyway
Magpies in Colorado
Magpies in Colorado come down to 1 species with regular eBird records, led by the Black-billed Magpie. Together they account for 380,895 of the 16 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 2.3% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Black-billed Magpie. Magpies are the long-tailed black-and-white members of the crow family. The Black-billed Magpie is a common bird across the West and northern Plains but essentially absent from the East, which is why so many people ask whether magpies occur in their state.
Magpies in Colorado: every species, most-reported first
Every magpie with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) — 380,895 records, 2.3% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When to see magpies in Colorado
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, magpies are most prominent in October, December and November and least in May and July. All of the 1 species is year-round — Black-billed Magpie — so there is no month without them.
Attracting magpies to Colorado backyards
Where magpies live, they need no encouragement: they take suet, pet food, scraps, and anything else left out. Where they do not live, no feeder will bring one.
In Colorado the magpie most likely to turn up is the Black-billed Magpie. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Magpies in Colorado: FAQ
How many species of magpies are there in Colorado?
1 species of magpies have regular eBird records in Colorado (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Black-billed Magpie.
What is the most common magpie in Colorado?
The Black-billed Magpie, with 380,895 eBird records in 2020–2024. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see magpies in Colorado?
Any time of year — every magpie regularly recorded in Colorado is a year-round resident. Their combined share of eBird records is highest in October, December and November.
Are there magpies in Colorado?
Yes. the Black-billed Magpie (380,895 eBird records, year-round) is regularly recorded in Colorado.
More birds in Colorado
Magpies in other states
Magpies in Colorado: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Colorado records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Corvidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.