Western Jackdaw

Can be confused withSource

• Rook — Rook is markedly larger and all black with a dark eye, a long pointed bill with pale bare skin at the base (adults) and shaggy "trousers" on the thighs — no grey nape, no pale eye.
• Hooded Crow — Hooded Crow is much bigger with a dark eye and has a grey body with black head, breast, wings and tail — the jackdaw's grey is only on the nape, not the body.

Plumage and variationSource

Male and female: Sexes alike — no visible difference in the field.

Juvenile: Juvenile is duller, with a less sharply defined, less contrasting grey nape and less gloss; the eye is bluish-grey/pale blue, brightening to the whitish-grey adult iris during the first year.

VoiceSource

A clear, short "kjakk kjakk" and a sharp "kya", often repeated and typically from a flock — both in flight and when perched.

BehaviourSource

Highly gregarious; almost always in flocks, often mixed with Rooks. Fast, flicking wingbeats and agile flight; walks with a brisk strut. Nests colonially in cavities — chimneys, wall holes, old trees.

When and whereSource

Common throughout Denmark as a breeding, resident and migrant bird, most frequent in the east. Breeds colonially; in winter forms large roosting flocks with Rooks and crows. Scandinavian migrants pass through from early October.

Facts

RelativesSource