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Breeding Range. (Fig. 115). Common on the Little Missouri Slope; locally common in the northwestern portion of the Coteau Slope (along valleys of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers and larger tributaries within Mountrail, Williams, and McKenzie Counties); fairly common locally on the Missouri Slope (in valleys along the Cannonball, Heart, and Knife rivers), in the southeastern portion of the Coteau Slope (McLean, Burleigh, and Emmons Counties), in the northwestern portion of the Missouri Coteau (Burke and Divide Counties), and on the Northwestern Drift Plain (most numerous in the valleys along the Mouse and Des Lacs rivers and in the sand dune areas of the Souris Lake Plain); uncommon in the Turtle Mountains and in the wooded hills of the Devils Lake area; rare and local elsewhere--breeding records in west-central Pembina County along the Tongue River, in Ransom County and Barnes County along the Sheyenne River, in LaMoure County along the James River between Dickey and Grand Rapids, in northern Stutsman County on the Arrowhead National Wildlife Refuge and on the Brush Hills, in southeastern Wells County on the Hawks Nest hills, in northwestern Wells County along the Sheyenne River, and in southwestern Kidder County and southeastern Burleigh County on the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Field records indicate that the greatest concentration of breeding magpies in North Dakota may occur in the Yellowstone River valley of northwestern McKenzie County.

Breeding Habitat. The Black-billed Magpie is a typical forest edge species that ranges out from woodland habitats into adjacent areas of brushland, grassland, and cropland. It is usually found in the vicinity of brushy margins of woodland tracts or thickets of small trees and tall shrubs.

Nesting. Breeding season: Late April to early August; peak, early May to early July. Extreme egg dates (7 nests): April 29 [1922] in Burleigh County (O. A. Stevens) to June 16 [1969] in Mercer County (R. E. Stewart, Jr.). Extreme nestling dates (8 nests): May 19 [1973] in Wells County (B. A. Hanson) to July 12 [1969] in Rolette County (L. L. Kruckenberg). Dependent young out of the nest were recorded as early as June 12 [1913] in Billings County and as late as August 3 [1913] in Slope County (S. G. Jewett).

On June 12, 1965, a nest with young in Bowman County was situated about 9 feet above the ground in a Rocky Mountain cedar located within a mixed stand of open small trees composed of Rocky Mountain cedar and ponderosa pine (H. A. Kantrud). On June 13, 1969, a nest with young in Pembina County was situated in a scrub bur oak (W. A. Buresh). On June 7, 1972, a nest with eggs in Barnes County was situated about 7 feet above the ground in a hawthorn (D. H. Johnson and G. L. Krapu).

Indicated clutch size (7 nests): 4 to 7 eggs; mean, 5.4 eggs.

Figure 115. Breeding Range of Black-billed Magpie.