Eurasian Jackdaw

The Eurasian Jackdaw, Coloeus monedula is a species of bird in the Coloeus genus. It is closely related to the Daurian Jackdaw and the two form a species pair and are sometimes considered conspecific, but they seem to replace each other geographically in vicinity of L Baikal and N Mongolia, meeting on very narrow front, but with very few reports of mixed pairings.

Kryukov and Suzuki (2000) and Haring et al. (2007a) found that the jackdaws were rather distant from the other Corvus species. They are split from Corvus into Coloeus, as recommended by Rasmussen and Anderton (2005).

Description
It is smaller than crows and has a black plumage with smocky gray nape. The eyes are light blue.

Similar species
Bill is much more slender than Rook, Hooded Crow and Carrion Crow. In flight, told apart by Hooded and Carrion by faster and slightly deeper wing beats of the proportionately somewhat longer and narrower wings, also by broad but short neck, and by short bill that gives the bird a somewhat 'docked' appearance at front. As a rule, also flies in denser flocks than crows (almost as pigeons), but flock formations can be similar.

Behaviour
It is a very smart and gregarious bird. It makes huge and noisy flocks.

Diet
Seeds, berries, carrion, lizards, mice, eggs and chicks, insects, worms.

Calls
a loud kiook.

Reproduction
it nests in colonies.

Distribution/habitat
It is found in cities and farmlands.