The Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) closely resembles Black-billed Magpie, with a black head and chest, white shoulders and belly, iridescent blue wings, and long tapered black tail. However, its bill is bright yellow. Bare skin behind eyes is also yellow, though not always clearly visible. Males are slightly larger than females. Otherwise, the two sexes are alike.

The Yellow-billed Magpie can most often be found west of the Sierra Nevada, in a range that includes Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley floors and foothills, and valleys of Coast Ranges from San Francisco Bay south to Santa Barbara County.

The bird tends to inhabit open country with tall trees. It nests high in trees, predominantly in valley oaks and coast live oaks. Nests are very large (almost 1 meter across), made of sticks and mud. Egg-laying usually begins in late April; clutches generally have 6 or 7 eggs. The Yellow-billed Magpie forages mostly on the ground in grassland, agricultural fields, pastures, and barnyards, taking a variety of insects and occasionally, small mammals. Yellow-billed Magpies are highly social, foraging and roosting together often in large numbers. They are often seen aggressively mobbing predators or other perceived threats, including humans.

Hopefully, the following photos and video will aide you in identifying Yellow-billed Magpies: