Featured in Raven Heart on January 11th, 2011.

A black-billed magpie turns it’s head to observe it’s observers with avid curiousity, while standing in a snowy meadow.

Captured in Indian Battle Park in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Taken with a Canon Rebel XSi using a 75-300mm lens @ 300mm, 1/320 sec., f/6.3, ISO 800. No post-processing.

The Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) is a large black and white bird (20 inches), belonging to the crow family (Corvidae). It has a very long tail and dark bill. The bill, head, breast and underparts are black, with lustrous green iridescence on the wings and tail. The belly and shoulders are white, as well as the primaries that show as white wing patches in flight.

Magpies inhabit open woodlands, savannas or brush-covered country near streams from Alaska, through western Canada, south into California and east to the Great Plains.