# Jackdaw (*Corvus monedula*) Jackdaws are clever birds with shiny black feathers and bright blue eyes. They love to chatter and can often be seen flying in groups. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Open fields, forests, and urban areas - **Also known as:** Daw ![Jackdaw](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424259/objects/4569.jpg) ## Appearance The Jackdaw is a small, sleek crow with glossy black plumage. It has a distinctive pale grey nape and bright pale grey-blue eyes, which help differentiate it from other all-black corvids. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Corvidae - **Genus:** Coloeus ## Interesting facts - Jackdaws are monogamous, staying with the same partner for their entire lives! - Jackdaws love collecting shiny items for their nests – a real treasure hunter! - These clever birds can count up to three or four objects, a rare skill! - They sometimes drop hard nuts onto roads to crack them open for a tasty meal! ## Special abilities - **Mind-Reading Memory:** Jackdaw can remember where they stashed food because they have excellent spatial memory, ensuring they find hidden reserves later. - **Problem-Solving Prowess:** Jackdaw can solve complex puzzles to get food because they possess high intelligence, helping them adapt to new challenges. - **Social Smarts:** Jackdaw has a sophisticated communication system that helps them coordinate in large groups for foraging and predator defense. - **Tool Talent:** Jackdaw can use twigs or leaves as tools because they exhibit clever object manipulation, helping them extract hard-to-reach food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-34 cm - **Wingspan:** 64-73 cm - **Weight:** 0.175-0.25 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 17-18 days - **Migration Distance:** 500 km ## Diet & Feeding Jackdaws are adaptable omnivores, eating seeds, insects, fruits, and even human scraps. - **Primary Foods:** Insects, Seeds, Berries, Eggs, Carrion, Human scraps - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Swift raptors sometimes prey on adult jackdaws. - **Eats:** Common Wheat (*Triticum aestivum*) — Forages for fallen grain in agricultural fields. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Domestic cats can prey on fledglings or sick birds. - **Eats:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Opportunistically catches and consumes various insects, including bees. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Jackdaws are friendly and not dangerous, but it's best to observe them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Jackdaw? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Jackdaw? 30-34 cm ### What is Jackdaw's wingspan? 64-73 cm ### How much does Jackdaw weigh? 0.175-0.25 kg ### How long does Jackdaw live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Jackdaw move? 60 km/h ### What does Jackdaw eat? Jackdaws are adaptable omnivores, eating seeds, insects, fruits, and even human scraps. ### Where is Jackdaw usually found? Open fields, forests, and urban areas ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Jackdaw: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/jackdaw)