Pica hudsonia
The ones I saw were eating seeds from coniferous cones, that had fallen underneath the trees.
They are everywhere here in Calgary. They fly and sing even at this time of the year. It sounds like such an exotic bird. I was so excited to see them!! It was my first time encountering a mapgie.
This one is apparently Pica hudsonia (Pie d'Amérique in French), a different species than the one found in Europe.
They are called Eurasian magpie or common magpie (Pica pica) overthere.
There is a third one, very similar, in California seen around San Francisco called the yellow-billed magpie (Pica nuttalli).
Somehow the temperature was really warm when we were there, due to the Chinook apparently, went from -30C (-22F) last week to +6C (42.8F). Felt like spring.
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