Western jackdaw
The
Western jackdaw, also known as the
Eurasian jackdaw,
European jackdaw or simply
jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly resident, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are recognised, which mainly differ in the colouration of the plumage on the head and nape. Linnaeus first described it formally, giving it the name
Corvus monedula. Later analysis of its DNA suggests that, with its closest relative the Daurian jackdaw, it is an early offshoot from the genus
Corvus, and possibly distinct enough to warrant reclassification in a separate genus,
Coloeus. The common name derives from the word "jack", meaning "small", and "daw", the native English name for the bird. Measuring 34–39 centimetres in length, the Western jackdaw is a black-plumaged bird with a grey nape and distinctive pale-grey irises. It is gregarious and vocal, living in small groups with a complex social structure in farmland, open woodland, on coastal cliffs, and in urban settings.