KNOW YOUR CORVIDS
Some common mountain birds: de-mystified!
They swoop, they soar, and they’re as sharp-witted as they are sharp-beaked. But how well do you know your rooks from your ravens? Trail’s photographer and resident birder Tom Bailey gives you a crash course in identifying members of the corvid family.
HOODED CROW (Corvus cornix)
Where Ireland, the far north of Scotland, and winters in the east of England.
Description Black head, wings and tail; the rest is a pale grey gilet, hence the nickname ‘hoodie’. Size is the same as the carrion crow. Like the carrion crow, it’s a prolific nest robber. The nest is high in the crown of a tree and often well hidden. Did you know? The word crow in the north is often used to describe dried snot or, more nationally, a foul-tempered old woman.
MAGPIE (Pica pica)
Where The whole of Britain and Ireland except the far north of Scotland.
Description Black and white with a bluish tinge to the wings and a green sheen on the long tail. The magpie is a regular in gardens and parks, feeding on insects and scraps. The nest is a loose sphere of woven twig.
Did you know? The reputation as a thieving reprobate is largely untrue. The origins of this myth come from its habit of collecting and caching food.
CARRION CROW (Corvus corone)
Where Wooded areas, farmland, and town parks in England, Wales and southern Scotland.
Description Similar in size to the rook, but the bill is shorter, stubbier and all black. Never seen in large flocks. A single carrion crow is often seen on sentry duty at the top of a tree looking for opportunities and to defend its territory. The voice is a “krra, krra, kraa”.
Did you know? Until recently, if a crow landed on a house it was said that it foretold a death in that family.
JACKDAW (Corvus monedula)
Where Almost the whole of Britain and Ireland. Found in towns, parks, steep cliffs, old castle ruins and sometimes in the mountains.
Description Silvery neck and nape, and starling-like in their quick, strutting walk. Nest sites include buildings, especially chimneys. Often seen in flocks with rooks, their call is a series of variations on the “cya, kyack, kyaa”.
Did you know? When nest-building, jackdaws can fly with sticks up to seven feet long. Nests are lined with collected feathers and fur.
ROOK (Corvus frugilegus)
Where Agricultural areas all over Britain, apart from the far north of Scotland.
Description All black apart from a pale grey patch of skin at the base of the bill. Flocks, roosts and nests in large numbers. Nesting is also a communal affair, where the noise from the begging young can be deafening. Voice is a rough “gra, gra, grah” and they strut when walking.
Did you know? A ‘parliament’ of rooks comes from eyewitness accounts of rooks encircling other birds, before pecking them to death!
CHOUGH (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
Where The Western extremities of Britain and Ireland. A lover of steep cliffs and mountains.
Description A medium-sized ‘crow’; black glossy plumage with a bright orange bill and feet. The voice is a wondrous, soft call, its name being a description of the sound. In reality it sounds like “chow”. A sociable bird that can often be approached, it sounds nice, looks great and flies with utter disregard for gravity.
Did you know? It had a false reputation as a fire starter which continued into the 19th century.
JAY (Garrulus glandarius)
Where England, Wales and most of Ireland; patchy in Scotland. A lover of oak woodland.
Description Peach-pink plumage and bright azure patches to the wings with a white rump. The voice is a hoarse, screamed ‘kschaach’, which is quite blood-curdling. The shyest of the corvids, the autumn is a great time to see them as they collect acorns.
Did you know? The jay’s habit of storing acorns for the winter months is quite extreme; during autumn they can store up to 5,000. RAVEN (Corvus corax) Where Mountain areas and coastal cliffs.
Description The largest of the crows, and bigger than a buzzard, it‘s all black, large-billed and long-necked. Display flight involves brief upside-down flips. Omnivorous (eats anything), it‘s often seen scavenging carrion. The voice is a deep ‘cronking’ call. The tail when fanned is wedge-shaped. Ravens pair for life.
Did you know? On the 1921 Everest expedition, ravens scavenged food from the camp at 21,000ft (6350m).