Eurasian jackdaw
Eurasian jackdaw Corvus monedula Castilian: Grajilla Catalan: Gralla Gallego: Gralla pequena Euskera: Bele txikia CLASIFICACIÓN: Orden: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Migratory status: Permanent resident CONSERVATION STATUS: In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. listen song THREATS It does not face any serious threats, except for the alteration of places that are appropriate for raising a brood. |
Length / size: 30-34 cm / 64-73 cm Identification: Its size is smaller than that of rooks and crows. When seen from far away it looks very dark, but it has a greyish colour when observed up close. The sides of its neck and nape are light grey and the irises of its eyes are white. It is quite gregarious and easy to observe in large groups. Song: Very noisy with short warning sounds. Their intensity and frequency varies with its mood: "chaak chaak". Diet: It feeds on grains, pulses and fruits, which it complements with invertebrates such as grasshoppers and worms. Its habits are variable and non-specific. Reproduction: It begins in April. They tend to group their nests into colonies and place them in different cracks. They are irregular structures made of groups of branches covered with feathers and mud. Incubation is done by the female but both parents participate in feeding the chicks. HABITAT It is quite dependent on rocky areas with chasms where it can place its nests. It is also common in ash groves and dilapidated rural areas. DISTRIBUTION In Spain: It is abundant and homogeneously distributed in the peninsula, and is only absent along the Cantabrian coastline and the Pyrenees Mountains. It is rare in Galicia and the Guadalquivir Valley. In Castile and León: It breeds in all the provinces but is rare in Soria. The largest concentrations occupy León, Burgos, Palencia, Segovia and Zamora. Movements and migrations: It is a sedentary nesting species, although the most northern populations tend to make small migratory movements. POPULATION In Spain: There is an estimated population of 420000-530000 breeding pairs. In Castile and León: | |