Subject: A "Yellow-billed" Black-billed Magpie
Date: Jun 20 14:56:21 2002
From: Bill and Nancy LaFramboise - wlafra at oneworld.owt.com


Tweeters,

Thanks to Wayne for this info. We (and the actual observers) were aware of
the possibility of yellowish bills on Black-billed Magpies.

There is also information on this in the accounts of both magpies in the
Birds of North America series. According to those accounts, Yellow-billed
Magpies rarely move far from there home range - up to 3.5 km in search of
food in drought years! Not a good candidate for wandering. But also to be
considered in our area is the possibility of assisted travel by train, etc.

The Lower Columbia Basin Alert is NOT claiming this is a Yellow-billed
Magpie but is noting/acknowledging the report of an odd magpie that
deserves further study.

For added info to this discussion - the observers used to live in
California within the range of Yellow-billed Magpies. They did report some
yellow around the eye. We have advised them to keep looking and to try to
photograph/document the bird and to also report on this bird to the WA
Birds Records Committee.

Bill & Nancy







Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland, WA
wlafra at owt.com