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Jackdaw( Corvus monedula)
The Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) is one of the smallest species (34-39 cm in length) in the genus of crows and ravens. Most of the plumage is black or greyish black except for the cheeks, nape and neck which are light grey to greyish silver. The iris is greyish white or silvery white, the only member of the genus outside of the Australasian region to have this feature. The bird is sociable, moving around in pairs (male and female) or in larger groups, though the pairs of birds stay together within the flocks. Range A very large area stretching from North West Africa through virtually all of Europe, Iran, North West India and Siberia. Inhabits wooded steppes, woodland, cultivated land, pasture, coastal cliffs and villages and towns. Food Food mostly taken from the ground but does take some food in trees. Eats insects and other invertebrates, weed seeds and grain, scraps of human food in towns, stranded fish on the shore, and will more readily take food from bird tables than other corvus species.
Jackdaw range Nest Usually nests in colonies in cavities of trees, cliffs or ruined buildings and sometimes even in dense conifers. Eggs, normally 4-5, incubated over 17-18 days and fledged after 30-35 days. Voice A "tchak-tchak" or "kak-kak"www call. A detailed description of the Jackdaw's social behaviour has been described in Konrad Lorenz's book "King Solomon's Ring". Another species closely related to European Jackdaw is Daurian Jackdaw (Corvus dauricus). European and Daurian Jackdaw together form the subgenus Coloeus. Trivia "Kavka," the origin of Franz Kafka's surname, is Czech for Jackdaw The Jackdaw (koloiós ) appears in Aristophanes' The Birds Aristotle Rhetoric, Book 1 And since what is natural is pleasant, and things akin to each other seem natural to each other, therefore all kindred and similar things are usually pleasant to each other; for instance, one man, horse, or young person is pleasant to another man, horse, or young person. Hence the proverbs ‘mate delights mate’, ‘like to like’, ‘beast knows beast’, ‘jackdaw to jackdaw’, and the rest of them. Image links
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