domestic forests, wild gardens

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, CA, USA

Talamanca Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens), males, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, western Panama

Gyas Jewelmark or Gyas Sarota Metalmark (Sarota gyas), family Riodonidae, Peru

Golden hooded Tanager (Stilpnia larvata), family Thraupidae, order Passeriformes, Isla Grande de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Beryl-spangled Tanager (Tangara nigroviridis), family Thraupidae, order Passeriformes, Colombia

Gilt-edged Tanager (Tangara cyanoventris), getting puffy and fluffy, family Thraupidae, order Passeriformes, Brazil

Here in the United States if you want to see a magpie, you've got to head out west, and this is one of my favorite western birds.

Most of you probably know that magpies, like other corvids are very intelligent, and get up to all kind of mischief. Some of you may know that Black-billed Magpies?particularly like to sit on larger animals, where they survey for small prey, disturbed by the larger animal's hooves, as well as feeding on parasites that may be on the animal.

Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia), family Corvidae, order Passeriformes, western USA

Photographs via: US Fish & Wildlife Department and the National Park Service