Celebrating the Jackdaw

Highly intelligent, sociable, and well mannered. What more could you want? Jackdaws have a highly developed culture. Did you know they have a strong hierarchy amongst them. There is always a big handsome chief, followed by upper class pretenders, then the middle classes and the lower classes. This class system is sorted very soon after they fly the nest, with young males prancing and preening their way to their allotted status in life.

This chap looks like the Big Chief

Once the pecking order is settled, they turn their attention to the ladies. Pairing takes place very early in life, long before they are mature enough to mate. The ladies assume the same social position as their man and they stay together for life, despite not breeding for another year or so. They look after each other, share food and possessions, and remain totally faithful.

Should there be uneven numbers of males and females in the group, those who find themselves unattached are at the bottom of the pile, a sort of under class, pecked by all the rest with no-one for them to peck. However, if the King loses his Queen, he will chose another partner who may well be one of these miserable spinsters – and she will then cast off her rags in exchange for fine plumage and other perks of royalty. He will never attempt to take a lady from one of the others.

This is another picture of the leucistic jackdaw. Maybe he is at the bottom of the pile due to his markings, but he does have a normal mate.

They eat just about anything – insects, worms, mice, seeds, vegetation, berries, fruit, nuts and scraps. Mine are very partial to suet. Sadly, they can also take eggs and chicks like other corvids. This variety of food and lack of faddy tastes allows the species to thrive.

I have witnessed two jackdaws having a ferocious tug of war with a date, but have never seen them peck at or show aggression to another species of bird. They wait patiently for an empty feeder, or sometimes simply fly down to one occupied by a pigeon or starling, whereupon said bird quickly disappears having seen the size of the approaching claws.

And who wouldn't give way to that!!!!

 I have grown very fond of them. They aren't particularly greedy, don't fight or squabble, and don't break feeders, although they do steal fat cakes if they get half a chance. They are also very clever and inventive. They can perch ontop of the pole, reach down with great agility to lift up a half coconut by the string, hold it in their claws and eat the contents. I have 6 regulars, occasionally 8. I don't want any more, but am pleased to have the ones I have.