Black-billed Magpie. Ann Brokelman Black-billed Magpie Nesting at Ear Falls, Kenora District Ross D. James

The Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia ) is ing was confirmed in only one northern a widespread species in western North block near Rainy River (Cadman et al. America. While it has a history of vag - 1987). Most other breeding evidence rancy into Ontario dating back to 1771 came from nearby squares, plus sightings (Forster 1772), any eastern expansion near Kenora and Dryden (six squares into the province from prairie habitats total). Twenty years later, during the sec - has been very slow. It was only in 1980 ond Breeding Bird Atlas (2001-2005), that nesting was first confirmed in the magpies had expanded their range con - province (Lamey 1981, Coady 2007). siderably. Breeding evidence came from These first nests were found near Rainy 39 squares, and the population was River in western Ontario, and in the first estimated to have increased ten-fold Breeding Bird Atlas (1981-1985) nest - (Coady 2007).

Volume 32 Number 1 41 Expansion was concentrated in the Balsam Fir ( Abies balsamea ) with a few Rainy River area, as expected, and near taller White Pines ( Pinus strobus ) on the Dryden, about 180 km to the northeast, rocky Precambrian shore of the pond where suitable open-country habitat had near the southern part of the town. been created by farming activity. In addi - On 19 May a pair of magpies was seen tion to these two pockets of activity, birds about 4 km to the east near Goldpines. It were noted in four other squares north of is not known if this was a different pair, Dryden along the Highway 105 corridor but that seems likely, given the persistent as far as Red Lake 150 km north, with nest building activity near the falls. breeding confirmed at Ear Falls and Red On my return to Ear Falls on 7 June, Lake (Cadman et al. 2007). This note I went to the tree where the bird had been presents information on the Ear Falls seen building. A nest was visible, though nesting, with evidence to indicate they barely, amid a dense tangle of spruce may have been there for 15-20 years pre - branches. It was about 8 m high adjacent viously. to the trunk of the tree, some 2/3 the tree height. The tree was about 6 m from the Observations edge of the headpond. There were six eggs Ear Falls lies about 60 km southeast of in the nest (50º 38.15' N, 93º 13.25' W). Red Lake on the north side of the English When I returned to the area on 16 River near its exit from the west end on July, there was a family group of magpies, Lac Seul. The Ontario Hydro Generating presumably from this nest, just more than Station at Ear Falls, about 4 km from Lac 1 km south, on the south side of the river Seul, controls the level of water in Lac below the dam. This noisy group of mag - Seul and creates a sizable headpond above pies was heard in that vicinity over the the dam close to town. I had an oppor - next several days. tunity to visit the area on three occasions, May to July, 2002. Magpies were first Discussion noted from 18-22 May on the southeast In talking with two long-time residents side of town near the shores of the head - of Ear Falls in 2002, they indicated that pond. A pair was noted there each day magpies had first moved into the area at making repeated visits to a Black Spruce least 15 years previously. The father of (Picea mariana ) tree. Watching from one of these two, Jake Ellis, has a cottage about 450 m away across the pond, nest on Wenasaga Lake (about 8 km northeast building was suspected as they made of Ear Falls). Jake indicated that a pair repeated visits to the ground and back to had been in the Wenasaga Lake area the tree. One was finally seen carrying a intermittently, starting possibly as long as stick across the pond to confirm my sus - 20 years ago, about the time or shortly picions. after the first Breeding Bird Atlas. Jake's The area in which they were building father had found a nest on a small island was open woodland of White Birch in the lake near the cottage some years (Betula papyrifera ), Black Spruce and earlier. While there does not appear to

42 Ontario Birds April 2014 be a large number of pairs around the islands in the English River and Lac Seul. town of Ear Falls, they have apparently This food is largely appropriated by a found enough open habitat and food to large population of Bald Eagles ( Haliaee - persist for some time. tus leucocephalus ), but magpies were seen The Black-billed Magpie has done rea - feeding on these remains at Goldpines. sonably well in open farmlands of the When fish remains are not available in Rainy River and Dryden areas (Elder winter, it is possible the birds fly farther 2006). Elder speculates that they may not south, or use the town dump, carcasses move farther east, as there is insufficient discarded by trappers, or possibly bird farmland to host any population for a feeders, that continue to provide food. If considerable distance to the east. They magpies are able to adapt to this type of may also be physiologically ill adapted to condition, they may well be able to move more humid eastern climates (Bock and father east to towns along the Trans-Cana - Lepthien 1975). However, if they were da Highway. Corvids are among the most able to adapt to habitats other than farm - adaptable of birds. land, perhaps there is less stopping them from adapting to more eastern areas. In Acknowledgements the vicinity of Ear Falls, there is essential - Special thanks to Jake Ellis for assistance in ly no farmland. There is, however, a fair - the field and for other observations of magpies ly constant supply of clearcut forest, as in the area. Trips to the Ear Falls area were on well as wide grassy hydro corridors, open behalf of Ontario Hydro. I appreciate the woodlands on rocky terrain, and grassy oppo rtunities these trips provided. places about homes and cottages. However, another factor that may be Literature Cited strongly influencing their survival about Bock, C.E . and L.W. Lepthien . Distribution Ear Falls is human activity. During sum - and abundance of the Black-billed Magpie mer, there is a copious supply of fish (Pica pica ) in North America. Great Basin remains dumped on small shoals and Naturalist 35:269-272.

Volume 32 Number 1 43 Cadman, M.D. , P.F.J. Eagles and F.M. Elder, D.H. 2006. The Black-billed Magpie Helleiner . 1987. Atlas of the Breeding Birds in Ontario. Ontario Birds 24:6-12. of Ontario. University of Waterloo Press, Forster, J.R. 1772. An account of the birds Waterloo, Ontario. sent from Hudson's Bay, with observations Cadman, M.D. , D.A. Sutherland , G.G. relative to their natural history, and Latin Beck , D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier (eds.). descriptions of some of the most uncommon. 2007. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, Philosophical Transactions 62:382-433. 2001-2004. Bird Studies Canada, Environ - Lamey, J. 1981. Unusual records of birds for ment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario's Rainy River District. Ontario Bird Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Banding 14:38-42. Ontario Nature. Toronto, Ontario. Coady, G . 2007. Black-billed Magpie ( Pica hudsonia ). Pp 380-381, in Cadman, M.D., Ross D. James D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and S1480, Conc. 7 Sunderland, ON L0C 1H0 A.R. Couturier (eds.). Atlas of the Breeding E-mail: [email protected] Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Nature. Toronto, Ontario.

44 Ontario Birds April 2014