The Birds of El Paso County, Colorado 53.1 



The Magpie is possibly the most noticeable bird, at least 

 to strangers, in the whole Pikes Peak region. With its con- 

 spicuous black and white plumage and long tail it at once at- 

 tracts the attention of the tenderfoot, and the old-timer gen- 

 erally notices one when it appears. Found wherever there are 

 trees, it lives along the watercourses and through the moun- 

 tains, though avoiding the dense evergreen timber, and prob- 

 ably not breeding much above 9,000 feet, but it is reported 

 to occasionally visit the summit of Pikes Peak in summer. 



The bulky nests are built in almost any sort of tree, 

 though deciduous growth seems to be preferred, but conifierous 

 trees are occasionally used. They are placed anywhere from 

 3 to 50 or more feet above the ground, and we find them in 

 the willows along the streams, in the scrub oaks of the foot- 

 hills, and up toward the tops of the tall cottonwoods. The 

 nests are quite remarkable structures ; built with a foundation 

 of twigs in which is a deep cup of mud lined with fine roots 

 and similar material, and over all is a dome or roof of twigs 

 and small branches, with the entrance hole in one side, just 

 above the edge of the cup. In this are laid the eggs, as many 

 as thirteen having been found in one nest in Montana ; from 

 six to eight is the usual number. The eggs are laid, in the 

 vicinity of Colorado Springs, the latter part of April, five were 

 found April 24, 1913, and there are other equally early dates, 

 while fresh eggs are likely to be found all through May. The 

 following dates give an idea of the laying season: May 3, 

 1904, a nest with one egg was found, and when next visited, 

 the 16th, there were 8 ; May 10, 1904, several eggs were 

 found in a nest so situated it was difficult to count them ; 

 May 11, 1904, nest with 2 eggs; April 25, 1910, 5 eggs; April 

 24, 1898, 4 eggs. The young come out of the nest about a 

 month after hatching, but can fly only a little then or not at 

 all, and merely hop around in the branches of the home tree 

 or bush, and are cared for by the parents for two or three 

 weeks longer, perhaps more. Shaw found a nest with 4 young 

 about 3 weeks old, June 25, 1912, in Crystal Park, at 8,500 feet. 



