SCHOPPERS J (2020) Magpies Pica pica nesting on buildings. LIMOSA 93 (2): 82-88.

In the spring of 2016, a pair of Magpies bred successfully at Nijmegen Central Station. Nesting on buildings is rare in the Netherlands and probably also in the rest of Europe. Via online requests the author collected other observations of Magpies nesting on buildings. Information on fifteen nesting attempts on buildings and three nesting attempts on other man-made structures was obtained (Tab. 1). Most nests were constructed on relatively new, high and solitary buildings. Supporting and pipe constructions and ledges were most popular as nesting sites. Magpies possibly prefer modern over older building. Most nests were open instead of domed. Breeding success was similar to nests in trees, although the sample size for Magpies nesting on buildings was small. In some cases, nesting locations were used during several years. Magpies increasingly use urban habitats, which might explain the increase in the cases of nesting attempts on buildings.

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