5 things you might not know about the jackdaw

2 min read
5 things you might not know about the jackdaw

Jackdaws are smaller than crows, rooks and magpies, and one of the cleverest garden visitors. Here are five things about them that I think are rather remarkable.

1. Their eyes change colour

Young jackdaws have light blue eyes that turn brownish, then whiten at about a year old. Adults have a greyish or silvery-white iris, which together with the grey nape helps tell them from other black birds.

2. They mate for life

Jackdaw pairs are monogamous, and almost every pairing that lasts more than six months is lifelong. Genetic tests have found no evidence of extra-pair mating. The Austrian zoologist Konrad Lorenz, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1973 for his work on animal behaviour, spent years studying a flock of jackdaws that he kept. In his flock the female took on her partner's social rank, and unmarried females were at the bottom of the pecking order.

3. Their nests can block chimneys

Jackdaws build nests on platforms that can grow very large, and some have blocked chimneys. Occasionally nests have crashed down into fireplaces, sometimes with birds still on them. Gilbert White noted jackdaws nesting under the lintels of Stonehenge.

4. They give food away, more than chimpanzees do

Jackdaws actively give food to other birds regardless of sex or kinship, at much higher levels than has been recorded in other species, chimpanzees included.

5. Henry VIII wanted them gone

Henry VIII's Vermin Act of 1532 targeted jackdaws, and Elizabeth I's act of 1566 enforced culling more strictly. Linnaeus named the species Corvus monedula in 1758 partly because he thought it liked picking up coins: monedula comes from the Latin moneta, meaning money.

A little jackdaw folklore

In Norfolk it was thought that if a bride saw a jackdaw on her wedding day she was destined for good luck, but in the north of England, a jackdaw falling down the chimney was said to bring bad luck.

A saying from Ancient Greece goes: Swans will sing when the jackdaws are silent, meaning wise people will only speak when fools hold their tongues. An archaic name for a flock of jackdaws is a clattering.

What jackdaws like to eat, and where

Jackdaws are omnivores and can empty a feeder very quickly. They are clever, so a feeder that outsmarts them is worth having: our Medusa Defender is designed to stop crows, jackdaws, pigeons and magpies reaching your hanging feeders. Fill it with our seasonal bird food in a Little Lantern seed feeder for the smaller birds. If you are not sure which feeder suits your garden, our feeding quiz will point you in the right direction.

Want to keep track of the jackdaws in your garden? Amidst the Birdsong: A Garden Birdwatcher's Journal is made for exactly that.

Want to read about more garden birds? See all the birds in this series.

While you're here

Because there's always something worth knowing about the birds in your garden.
Clare Cahill

Thank you for reading!

Clare Cahill is a bird enthusiast with a passion for observing and learning. While she definitely doesn’t have a formal degree in ornithology, Clare has dedicated hours to reading birding books and exploring nature, constantly expanding her knowledge and deepening her love for wildlife.

For Clare, birdwatching brings a sense of calm and connection to the world, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. She believes that the more we connect with nature, the more we can do to protect and conserve it. Through her writing, Clare hopes to inspire others to take a moment to pause, look up, and appreciate the calm and connection that comes from letting a little wildness into our everyday lives.

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