About this objectThe jackdaw is the smallest British member of the crow family. Although often seen in farmland they are increasingly common in towns.
Jackdaws are mainly black but have a patch of grey plumage on the back of the neck and grey eyes. They eat plants and invertebrates, feeding on the ground where they hop and walk with a brisk strut. Urban birds happily scavenge food waste. Jackdaws are gregarious and very noisy birds – an old word for a flock of jackdaws is a “clattering”. Their calls are usually limited to harsh croaks and caws but they can be taught to talk. Like magpies, jackdaws are attracted to and will pick up bright shiny objects such as coins.
