UK Conservation status: Green

This intelligent, sociable and adaptable bird has seen its population increase by 146% (1967-2020). In the UK, Jackdaws are sedentary, rarely travelling more than a few kilometres from home, but in the autumn and winter the population is boosted by visitors from northern Europe. Successful bird species in the UK currently tend to be omnivores and opportunists, able to adapt to changing landscapes, resources and increasing human presence. Eating a varied diet enables Jackdaws to exploit food resources when they become available, as most people with a bird feeding station can attest, and they will readily share this resource with their social group. Their diet can vary depending on their location, with farmland species enjoying insects and larvae while in more urban populations, seeds and fruit predominate. Jackdaws have a strong social structure, mate for life and protect their partner and social group. Hatching in order of laying is also helpful for success, as the later, weaker chicks may be abandoned if food is not plentiful enough to sustain the entire brood. Choosing to nest in cavities, structures such as church towers, chimney pots and derelict buildings are favoured substitutions for hollow trees and rock crevices. It’s a testament to the resourcefulness and intelligence of the species that it is currently thriving.