Quickbill was a magpie in General Ironbeak's army. He had two brothers named Diptail and Brightback. He was the leader of the trio and the strongest. He and his brothers were used in foraging and scouting missions, serving as the primary supply line for the army. Recognizing this, Constance and several others were able to temporarily capture the magpies for an exchange of hostages. In the final battle, one of the magpies was killed (we are not told which one) and the other two were captured. Later, they were freed and ordered to fly back to the Northlands under the watch of Stryk Redkite.