Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)

Dear Readers, the arrival of jackdaws in East Finchley is part of a continuing trend. Once upon a time, there were jackdaws in the City of London, right in the very heart of the Capital, and they even bred at the Tower of London, but 1905 was the last time that they were seen in the inner city. Why is something of a mystery. They certainly thrived on the insects and grain associated with horse-driven transport, and the fur from the horses and from other domesticated animals driven into markets such as Smithfield was commonly found in jackdaw nests, so maybe the change to petrol-driven transport played a part.

The other factor is probably nest sites. Unlike other crows, which nest in tall trees,  this smallest member of the corvid family is a cavity nester. I spotted one making his or her nest in the corner of an outbuilding when I was in Milborne St Andrew a few years ago.

Sadly, when I returned recently the hole had been filled in, and this is a persistent problem for jackdaws, even in the countryside. They have an unfortunate habit of nesting in chimneys, which is dangerous for them and for the home owner – nobody wants their chimney to catch on fire, and so many houses now have guards over the chimney stack to prevent the birds from nesting.

I used to associate the sound of jackdaws with visiting my parents, but it’s a real delight to hear them calling now in North London. I have no idea where ‘my’ jackdaws are nesting, but last year they brought their three fledglings along for some suet pellets and mealworms. Jackdaws mate for life (though in the winter you can see them in larger flocks, sometimes mixed in with rooks and crows). So, whenever I see one jackdaw I always instinctively look for the other one. They’re never far away.

Jackdaw with a beak full of mealworms

The eyes of a jackdaw are really something, and are one of the bird’s distinguishing features, along with that frosty ‘hoodie’ at the back of the head and neck. According to my British Trust for Ornithology newsletter this week, juvenile jackdaws have bright blue eyes, which turn brown during their first winter, and eventually become silver in the adult bird. The naturalist W.H.Hudson described them as ‘small malicious serpent-like grey eyes’ but I can only think that he looked with a jaundiced attitude. To me, the eyes of a jackdaw show a sharp intelligence, and a clarity of intention.

So, the sounds of a few jackdaws in flight can sound musical and somehow rather optimistic (at least to me). See what you think. This recording was by Bert de Bruin in Groningen in the Netherlands.

However, in the winter jackdaws and rooks may roost together in huge flocks, and the sound can  be properly awe-inspiring. This recording is of birds leaving a night roost in France, made by Stanislas Wroza.

For the best description of a jackdaw/rook roost, and what it feels like to witness this behaviour, I always turn to Crow Country by Mike Cocker. For a little taste, this is how he describes the call of the jackdaw:

“The jackdaws meanwhile produce sharp-chipped lapidary notes, like the sweet strike of flint on flint, and in this flinty landscape nothing could be more appropriate.”

What a perfect description! And so, when I hear the sound of the jackdaws outside, it always gives me a sense of hope, a sense of how nature is constantly changing and  adapting, and how what was lost from a city may one day return. Why life here suddenly seems more hospitable is anybody’s guess – more people feeding birds? The jackdaws changing their nesting habits, or finding nooks and crannies that other nesting birds don’t exploit? Who knows? I’m just glad to hear them.