Western Jackdaw Identification

The Western Jackdaw resembles the Carrion Crow and the Rook but it is much smaller and rounder.

It has black plumage.

Its nape and the back of its head are gray.

It has light blue eyes.

Its beak is fairly short.

The Western Jackdaw has a clearer call than the Carrion Crow or the Rook.

It often repeats short, loud croaks: "kia" "kièrrrrr".

The Western Jackdaw is very sociable. It lives in pairs or in groups.

It is often found in the company of other corvids.

It is often searching for food in fields and landfills, sometimes in the company of crows.

It will come to the garden to rummage through the compost and visit the feeder.

Its flight is acrobatic with faster wing beats than the crow and the rook.

The breeding season of the Western Jackdaw extends from April to July.

It produces 1 brood per year of 3 to 6 light blue eggs, speckled with brown.

It nests in various places: in cliffs, trees, buildings, and nest boxes...

and even in bell towers, ruins, and castles.

Its nest is a collection of twigs and grass in cavities.

Life-long pairs nest alone or in colonies, depending on the number of available cavities.

During the courtship display, the female vibrates her wings and tail, ruffles her feathers, and folds her beak against her chest.

The two partners regularly exchange caresses and food offerings.

The Western Jackdaw is omnivorous.

It feeds on fruits, seeds, and grains...

snails, insects, rodents...

and sometimes waste.

The Western Jackdaw lives in various areas around towns and villages: in parks and gardens...

in churches and ruins...

and in open spaces.

It is a resident or medium-distance migratory species.