Do Black-Billed Magpies store food for the winter? (1 Viewer)

[UtahnBirder]

I just viewed a magpie taking my seed (either sunflower, millet, cracked corn or shelled peanuts. It's a mix), and hiding it in various places. It put one in some ground cover, then ripped out other parts of the ground cover to hide it. Then it put some in the rocks and covered it with leaves. Is it storing food for winter?

 

[fugl]

I just viewed a magpie taking my seed (either sunflower, millet, cracked corn or shelled peanuts. It's a mix), and hiding it in various places. It put one in some ground cover, then ripped out other parts of the ground cover to hide it. Then it put some in the rocks and covered it with leaves. Is it storing food for winter?

Yes, that’s doubtless what it is doing. Lots of other birds—chickadees, nuthatches, various corvids, etc--store food for the winter in this way. Here in Reno, the Western Scrub Jays have been harvesting the acorn crop for several weeks now, spending most of the day at this task. They generally hide the acorns on the ground—in leaf litter, under branches or other solid objects, or buried in loose soil.

 

[UtahnBirder]

Yes, that’s doubtless what it is doing. Lots of other birds—chickadees, nuthatches, various corvids, etc--store food for the winter in this way. Here in Reno, the Western Scrub Jays have been harvesting the acorn crop for several weeks now, spending most of the day at this task. They generally hide the acorns on the ground—in leaf litter, under branches or other solid objects, or buried in loose soil.

I wish I could tell it I would be filling the feeder all winter XD
I don't know why it would think that a leaf will keep it protected. Anyway, thanks for the info!