Jackdaws
The jackdaw is the smallest of crows, collectively known as corvids, but they make up for the smaller size with the fact they are highly sociable and stay in groups. It is easy to tell them apart from crows by their bright white iris', silver sheen to their nape, and black cap. There is an estimate of around 3.2 million of them across the UK. Once listed as vermin with crows and rooks by Henry VIII in a Tudor vermin act of 1532, they are now an admired species for many reasons.
The best things sometimes really do come in smaller packages; as these birds are potentially one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They have many talents that involve problem-solving, recognising people, mimicking human voices and sounds, and using objects as tools to aid in their meal prep. These birds have an extremely varied diet including nuts, berries, invertebrates, and other birds' eggs and chicks. This means you can find them in most locations. As mentioned before, their intelligence is off the charts; they are said to recognise faces and can read expressions from people's faces. They have even been trained by individuals to retrieve cash and bring it back to them...some individuals that include Italian thieves. The thieves trained the jackdaw to steal money from cash machines as people were using them! Their intelligence also gives other species such as deer an upper hand; jackdaws are fond of an invertebrate dinner, so they have formed a symbiotic relationship with the deer as they eat ticks from their bodies.
These birds are said to have empathy towards us humans, this might explain why they often stay in areas with people around. They are certainly less timid than lots of other bird species. This empathy is shown within their own kind too; once they find a mate, they pair for life. They also roost together as a group, they really do show that they are all about closeness. Once mated they tend to lay eggs from April-June, they will be blue and speckled as shown below.
References:
Discover Wildlife. (n.d.). 7 amazing jackdaw facts. [online] Available at: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-jackdaws/
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