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Nice shots but man I hate that bird. I've seen them take out so many nests and fledglings over the past couple of years.

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The "coyote-of-the-sky" as we call them, is the world over a revierd and special bird. Along with the raven, and the eagle, it is one of the most powerful of all birds, without the magpie I wonder if there would be life. . . No magpie would be like no ants, the system would fall apart. . .

Here are just a few of the reason the magpie is so special.

Magpie: “one of those clever birds that has shamanic qualities”
Minnehaha, the daughter of a Blackfoot tribe hunter, said to the buffalo herd, “Oh, if you would only come over the cliff, I would marry one of you.” She was surprised that they responded and tumbled over the cliff to provide food for her people. But she was carried away by the elder buffalo to be his bride. Her father searched for her and was stampeded to death. Minnehaha cried and asked the magpie to find a piece of her father's bones. The magpie found one, and Minnehaha chanted a song that brought her father to life. The buffalo chief said, if you teach that song of restoration to us, we'll sacrifice ourselves to feed your people. Then they taught her their sacred Buffalo Dance.
— Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth (1988), pp. 75-78

Magpie Symbolism
Chinese: The "Bird of Joy"; good fortune. A chattering magpie signifies good news, the arrival of guests. Under the Manchu dynasty it also represented imperial rule. Christian: The Devil; dissipation; vanity. — J. C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (1978), p. 102

Korean Magpie: Good News
Koreans believed that magpies delivered good news and invited good people. The most famous painting related to a magpie is the one with striped tiger (ggach'i wha horangi minhwa): the magpie is happily chirping to a tiger. The magpie represented good news and the tiger symbolized good luck, since its pronunciation in Chinese sounds similar to good luck (bok).
(Korean Symbolism of Animals & Birds)

The Magpie: From early ages, the magpie has been known as the lucky bird which delivers good news. The magpie inhabits Mountain Acha and Children's Grand Park but can be spotted anywhere. This intimate bird represents the bright future of Gwangjin-gu. (from Gwangjin-Gu district, Korea)

Magpie, a Symbol of Happiness
Magpie is a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture. The singing of a magpie foretells happiness and good luck. That's why it is called 'Happy Magpie' by Chinese people. The Manchu minority in Northeast China even regards magpies as sacred birds. Legends concerning magpies are found in the historical records about Manzhu. (By Ye Qinfa, China Online)

Magpie: Pica Pica This black and white, black-billed, long-tailed Jay is the only member of its family to live in both hemispheres. It has long been known as a thief. Generally, this bird has bad thoughts attached to it and it was the symbol of garrulity. It was sacred to Bacchus, the God of wine, so it became associated with intoxication. (from Rutledge Books, Inc., subsidy publishing)

Louis Agassiz Fuertes: Magpie, Black-billed
(Fuertes Illustration Collection, Cornell University Library Rare & Manuscript Collections)

* The Magpie and The Bell
(Korean folktale of heroism and retribution, Dr. Jason N. Joh's Korean Folktales)

* The Origins of the Buffalo Dance (similar to PBS story Joseph Campbell told to Bill Moyers)
(Powerful Symbols: Honoring the Animal Spirits, Native American Art & Education Center)

* Magpie pays for bread it eats
(News from London, Sydney Morning Herald, August 4, 2000)

Claude Monet. The Magpie. c.1868-1869. Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France (Olga's Gallery) [PYC Note: I recall Charlie Rose asking Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, what is his favorite painting. Montebello walked Rose to Monet's Magpie and commented “It's a small painting (35" x 51"), but look at the snow, it's so perfect and peaceful.” Perhaps this Monet painting was on loan to the Met during their Impressionist Exhibit in 1994.]

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Camp robbers are actually gray jays. You may have called the magpie a camp robber, but the gray jay has the reputation becuase they will eat out of your hand, wont five up, and have almost no fear of humans.

found on the web: http://www.mountainnature.com/Articles/camp_robbers.htm

When most people think of a gray coloured aerial thief, they think of the Gray or Canada Jay. Also very adept at quick lunch grabs, they're often found in similar terrain to the Nutcracker.

I've often heard both referred to as "Camp Robber" and the nickname is well earned. Any invitation to pick up a free meal is instantaneously accepted and the food hidden for future meals. In this way, they can keep coming back for more...and more...and more. Not only is your lunch carefully stored away, but they seem capable of remembering where each and every piece has been hidden.

The Nutcracker resembles a cross between a Gray Jay and a woodpecker. It's primarily gray in colour with black and white wings and a long black beak. The beak is it's most distinctive feature as it provides the best way to differentiate it from a Gray Jay.

The large beak is used to pry open the seeds of various trees, particularly the Whitebark Pine. Long and thin, it makes short work of even the toughest cones. It's also handy for pecking away at rotten wood to get at insects and grubs.

After collecting the food, it's hidden by sticking it on branches or behind bark--or even stuffing it into the ground. It'll all get eaten on some day when the hikers aren't around. The Gray or Canada Jay is very similar in colouration. It has a lighter coloured head with a much smaller beak. Their main similarity is in their aggression when trying to get at your lunch.

Since most people see the jay as it's flying away with their sandwich, it's easy to assume that they're primarily a vegetarian. Nothing could be further from the truth. A true scavenger, the jay will eat just about anything-- including carrion, young birds, eggs, and insects.

Stored slightly differently from the nutcracker, the food is covered with saliva and then either stuck to the bark of trees or stuffed into a vacant woodpecker hole.

Both these birds are fascinating to watch and can often provide a pleasant diversion on a cold winters ski. Boldly landing within a few feet of you, they're one of the most visible of our mountain birds. Please keep in mind though that feeding birds within the national parks is illegal and in most cases not in the best interest of the birds. Their diets are very specialized and white bread and cheezies are not on their list of proper foods. Keep your eyes on your lunch and happy birding.

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I feel like a "Magpie racist" now Tony, LOL!! I actually do enjoy watching them but they are quite the predatory birds around here and just decimate the other's nest all summer long.

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