Where do magpies nest?
Magpie · Pica pica
Magpies nest in tall trees and in thick, thorny bushes and hedges, in parks, gardens and towns as well as on farmland. They build a big nest of sticks with a roof over the top and a way in at the side. Building can start in winter, eggs are laid in April, and they raise one brood a year.
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- Where
- High in tall trees, or lower in thorny bushes and tall hedges
- Nest
- A large domed stick nest with a mud-lined cup and a side entrance
- When
- March to June, first eggs usually in April
- Eggs
- Usually 5 or 6, kept warm by the female for about 20 days
- Broods
- One
- Fledging
- About 4 weeks after hatching
- Nest box
- None: they build their own, roof and all
Where magpies nest
Almost anywhere there is a tall tree or a thick, thorny bush: woodland edges, hedgerows, orchards, scrub, parks, gardens and town streets. In open country a lone tree or a hawthorn in a hedge will do. Some nests are high in the top of a tall tree, others are only a few metres up in a hedge.
They are easy to spot in winter, once the leaves are down. A dark, round lump in a bare tree, too big and too bulky for most birds, is very often a magpie nest.
What a magpie’s nest looks like
It is one of the most impressive nests in Britain. The base is a platform of twigs. On that sits a cup, plastered inside with mud and lined with softer stuff like roots and hair. Over the top goes a loose roof of twigs, often thorny ones, leaving an entrance in the side.
The roof is what makes it a magpie nest. Crows build big stick nests too, but theirs are open at the top. The RSPB says building can begin in the middle of winter, and a big nest takes a good while to finish.
When magpies nest
The season runs from about March to June. Eggs are mostly laid in April: usually five or six of them, greenish blue and speckled. The female sits on them for around 20 days while the male brings her food, and the chicks fly at about four weeks old.
Young magpies stay with their parents for a while after leaving the nest. In early summer you can often see a family of them, the young ones with shorter tails, moving about together.
Magpies in your garden
Magpies do fine without our help and do not use nest boxes. But a few things are worth knowing if one nests near you:
- The nest is protected. A magpie’s nest has the same legal protection as any other wild bird’s while it is being built or used, however you feel about magpies.
- Cut trees and hedges in autumn and winter. Check for nests first, because magpies can start building early.
- Give smaller birds cover. Magpies take eggs and chicks in spring, as many birds do. Thick, thorny shrubs and climbers give small birds places to nest that are harder to reach.
Checked against: RSPB: Magpie, BTO BirdFacts: Magpie. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
Why do magpies build a roof on their nest?
It is generally thought to protect the eggs and chicks from crows and other predators. It also makes their nest easy to tell apart from a crow’s, which is open on top.
When do magpies build their nests?
They can start in the middle of winter. Eggs are usually laid in April.
Do magpies reuse their nests?
Old magpie nests often stay up for a long time, and other birds and animals sometimes move into them.
Is it illegal to remove a magpie’s nest?
While it is being built or used, yes. Every wild bird’s nest is protected by law in the UK during that time. An old, empty nest out of season is a different matter.
