Bird guide · Coloeus monedula
Jackdaw
What the jackdaw eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from across the UK.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 13.4 in (34 cm)
- Eats
- seeds, fruit, scraps
- Feeds
- tray/platform (bird table)
- Most common
- Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Food
What do jackdaws eat?
At feeders, jackdaws take seeds, fruit, scraps.
Visits feeders and bird tables but doesn't hang around for long.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do jackdaws live?
Widespread except the Scottish Highlands, in towns, villages, farmland and sea cliffs. By share of all bird sightings, jackdaws are most common in Scotland (3.5%).
Nations where jackdaws are most common
- Scotland3.5%
- Wales2.5%
- Northern Ireland2.1%
- England2.1%
Share of all bird sightings in each nation that are jackdaws, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the jackdaw migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in June.
Share of all bird sightings in the UK that are jackdaws, by month.
Identification
How to identify the jackdaw
Adults: Small black crow with a grey hood around the back of the head, a black cap and pale blue-grey eyes.
Young birds: Browner, with darker eyes.
Size: 13.4 in (34 cm)
Easily confused with
- Carrion Crow – larger and all black, no grey hood
- Rook – larger; Jackdaw is small with a pale eye
Nesting
Does the jackdaw use nest boxes?
Yes. It nests in boxes as well as natural cavities.
On camera
Getting the jackdaw on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Jackdaw: questions
What do jackdaws eat?
At feeders, seeds, fruit, scraps.
Do jackdaws migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in June.
Where do jackdaws live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, England.
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