The Unappreciated Genius Of Jackdaws

Because of their success in adapting to urban landscapes, it is understandable why jackdaws may go unnoticed. But it is worth looking a little closer. These brainy birds exemplify some of the traits that humans value most: intelligence, ingenuity, and loyalty.

A film by Matthew Spivack

Music: Convergence by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, and Ellie Kidd

Thanks to Piers Gibbon for letting me use his sound studio to record the voice over.

Further reading:

wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/j/jackdaw/

[catherder]

My home is close to a stand of trees where a flock of jackdaws live, It's taken a few years but some of them have come to recognise me well enough to know I will get them scraps of food or old cat food if they approach me. They also get bread from someone else nearby but come to my garden to throw it into the birdbath there to soften it in the water.

They also have a crazy gang rivalry with the Magpies that live nearby.

[GiorgiNadiradze]

I first saw them in winter when I used to work night shift. they were all around at early morning. I was stunned by their intelligence.. only now I found out their name .

[stevegreenwood]

a Neighbor called me last week to say can you help me there's a strange noise coming from the air vent in my daughter's bedroom sure enough it was a bird as l guessed, turned out it was a beautiful jackdaw so l took the air vent off and out he popped looking straight at me with those amazing eyes, first thing l noticed how intelligent these birds are and so beautiful to look at up close, anyway l took him- her:-)   home as he-her looked a bit flustered and was covered in some sort of black gunk so l put him in an old cat carry-cage l had, next l decided l would spend some time just talking to him-her so l put him at the far end of the kitchen near to the window, and every day we would have breakfast together he loved it, after just 3 days he was picking up on words l had said to him wow amazing on the fourth day l gave him a bath using some of the cats special shampoo thank god l had the cat :-) and yes the cat was cool with my new friend the jackdaw, up until the 5th day Jake or Jackie the jackdaw :-)never made a squawk not a sound... then on the Saturday l heard his chums squawking outside in the garden and so did he it was the first time he made some loud squawks so even though l loved his company l said its time my clever little friend to let you go we had breakfast one more time then l went with him to the back door placed him on the coal- bunker opened his cage and as he came-out he looked at me as if to say thank you, then he flew off with his chums up into the tall trees l watched him for a while as he flew high over the church squawking into the distance.

[SOLPUJAED]

One of my favourite birds, and that list is without end; however these are among my top few. Looking forward to having wild Jackdaws seek friendship with me 😊 . More content please Sir. This is light, bubbly + much appreciated 🧐🐴

[pomerau]

I feed a group of Jackdaws at a seating area and garden inside Richmond Park. (also Crow families who know me, a Magpie pair, Pigeons, Squirrels etc, yes I'm that guy)

There has been one timid Jackdaw with a bent, injured leg, who I feed by distracting others with a gentle early throw of nuts in the other direction first.

I eventually regularly noticed another Jackdaw with only one leg would sit on the ground in front of me with a few others.

I finally figured what she/ he was doing. Balancing herself with her tail on the ground. There was nothing wrong with her. (let's say her)

I rareley take pics but caught a few of this. She had obviously noticed I made eye contact with the injured bird and favoured her.

She would tuck a whole leg under herself, where the really injured bird had an awkward, probably painful (IDK) bent leg.

Mathew here saying Jackdaws can tell what a person is looking at finished that jigsaw.

Behaviour wise, their eyes and demeanour make them my favourite bird.
They are bullied away by crows, more so recently, but find a way of catching the odd nut from me if I'm walking around, and they have their own areas they hang around.
There are so many of them though. Even so they are considerate and polite to each other and playful with me.

[alicehudson]

I love these birds. I put food out for them on my garden wall, they noticed me in the window and left, but they are circling so they'll be back. Once, a few years ago, a flock arrived and set up house in the trees at the end of my garden, cawing from first light to last. They stayed about 6 weeks and I watched them teach their offspring to fly. The garden is about twenty feet down from the street wall, the juveniles would take ages to get up courage to leap off the wall, to land in the garden and squawk until they got up courage to try again and make it back up into the trees. I went out one morning to silence; I hated it that they had gone.

[TonyEnglandUK]

Loved this video. Jackdaws will befriend humans (after a lot of wary investigations) the same way and will even fly down and land on your arm while you feed them. There's a bloke on YouTube called Robin Long and its incredible to watch how much trust he gained from the Jackdaws that visited him.

[Bazukadam]

They are my favourite birds (although I like all kinds). They are used to me at work because I share my dinner with them, as soon as I go into the canteen area they appear on the roof and before I know it they're hovering around me waiting for my (their) food lol. 😊

[jamesmills]

I got a squeak squeak, by a friendly Jackdaw today followed by a quick wing Dip - all happened quick as a flash! Its left wing Dipped to point straight down and the right wing tipped straight up and then the Jackdaw levelled up its attitude again - and flew right over and above my head maybe only 8 foot away from me? It was awesome.

[rederickfroders]

Theres always alot of jackdaws outside my house, when I walk by I can always tell the new ones from the older ones because they dont consider me a threat anymore. They recognize you. Blackbirds do that too, when you walk by they sometimes tilt their head at you in curiosity

[CynthiaDarksteel]

In Zaragoza, Spain, there is a lot of these in the riverback. Nicer than magpies and at pigeon size.

[jeffallinson]

I just love these birds; Jackdaws are super clever, cheeky and very cute. As a teenager I found one that must have fallen from its nest so I took it home and looked after it for couple of months at least. I named it Jimmy and he (or she for that matter) would take food from my hand, perch on my hand, shoulder or even head. I decided that I needed to let Jimmy return to nature although it took ages for him to leave our large garden. I love them to this day as they nest in the chimneys on my street.

[FoxaNature]

Jackdaws are my favorite birds and actually my favorite animals after red foxes ! I love them so much, I have a lot of jackdaws next to my home and I fell in love with them the second I saw them for the first time with their awesome blue/grey eyes !

[baltvdb]

Thanks, really nice & informative little video 😎🇬🇧

[wither]

my favorite birds, very cute and expressive.

[femfromholland]

I really love these birds, they visit me every day waiting for me to give them some nuts, some of them eat out of my hand. Last year one of them came sitting on my shoulder or my lap when I was outside, from one day to another he disappeared never seen him since.

[rosemaryallen]

I put out food on the gravel when my neighbouring car park is empty. The local seagulls are bold birds, but are easily alarmed and will circle for ages before landing. The pigeons are nearly as timorous. But the jackdaws, especially a lone bird, will serenely and sensibly get down to it, and take their fill while all the rest are flying about, or rowed up disconsolately on the rooftops!

[saxchillz]

Great footage nicely put together Thanks

[Emily-Whitfield]

I love all birds, but, corvids are my favorites ❤❤❤❤❤

[muslymier]

A pair is nesting in my chimney right now. I can hear their shuffling in the wall as they're building the nest.