I have always been fascinated by corvids, I personally have a Magpie, Jackdaw and a Eurasian Jay. These are not usual pets and it is important for me to say right now that I did not take them from the wild, and you should never take animals from the wild to keep as pets.
Let me introduce you to my babies!
Indie – Magie – Pica pica
Ulysses – Eurasian Jay – Garrulus glandarius
Both of these babies were captive bred, that is the same as a budgies or cockatiel you would buy from the pet shop. They have been reared by a human and would not make it in the wild. If they ever got out of their aviary, they are likely to fly to the nearest person and ask for food!
This would terrify most people as they wouldn’t be expecting it.
Juno – Jackdaw – Corvus monedula
This is my lovely Juno, she is a little different. She was found after falling from the nest. The person who found her, kept her for a while and fed her by hand. Then he decided he could not look after her any longer, but she was so used to people by this time she needed a home with someone who could look after her for a long time. This is where I came in!
So, these are 3 wonderful corvids, but are there any others?
Yes!
Corvid is the family name
Within this family are; magpies, jays, jackdaws, crows, rooks, choughs and ravens.
Most of these birds are scavengers, this means you will find them eating meat from other animals who have met a tragic end!
But, do they only eat meat? No, Jays for example love nuts, especially acorns. They will even hide acorns when they are plentiful in various places around where they live, and will go back over winter when food is harder to find and eat their stored food. I think that is very clever and shows this bird can think forward.
Corvids and Superstition
Corvids have been used in superstitions for a very long time!
Often being connected with death or bad omens!
Though a quick look on the internet will show that corvids have been used as totems, messengers and signs. It seems that I am not the only one obsessed with corvids!
For me crows have always been a good omen, and if I see one when I am making a plan for something new I want to do, I see the crow as a positive sign that I should be doing it.
This may sound silly, but how many of you tip your hat to the magpie? Or sing the rhyme, one for sorrow, two for joy when you see magpies?
Some people believe that if you hear a crow caw or they land on the roof of a house where someone is sick, this person will die. Using crows as a foreshadowing.
Ravens were believed to be the messengers for Odin in the Norse religion. Providing Odin with information from all over the world. They were called Huginn and Muninn.
Corvids and Science
Moving away from the mystical to science, corvid are some of the most intelligent birds that have been observed.
Crows have been observed sharing knowledge, performing tasks for their group and using tools. Crows, ravens and magpies have been observed in scientific experiments using tools or solving problems to get food or rewards.
Crows, jays and magpies have been observed putting tough to crack nuts on the road and waiting for a car to run them over, then they fly down and collect the nut for themselves.
Corvid have brilliant memory and can tell the difference between different people. There are many cases of people who have fed corvids, only to have these corvids protect the human that has looked after them. Corvids recognise people, and as they can pass information on, it is best not to harm a corvid, because he will tell all of his friends that you are not a nice person!
Corvids also mourn the death of their own. If a member of their flock dies, the other corvids will form a circle around the deceased member and will stay for a period of time. Normally the birds closest in relationship to the deceased member will stay longer.
Corvids process way more information about the world around them than we realise. They will collect stones and fill a water bottle with them to make the water level inside the bottle rise, so they can drink! They are amazing and I personally think they are the best.
Let’s meet the other corvids
Raven – Corvus corax
Chough – Pyrrhocorax
Crow – Corvus
Rook – Corvus frugilegus
Here are some pictures of my cheeky babies!
Corvids are super intelligent and need lots of stimulation and things to do. They like to investigate things and love stealing anything! Indie loves magazines! He will pull them apart and rip them and then hide all of the pieces. Juno and Ulysses enjoying finding his stash and pulling it all out, just to annoy him I’m sure!
Each corvid has its own call, they do not all sound screechy. Jays have a wide range of vocalisations, Indies mimic sounds and jackdaws copy the sounds of others – not exactly but they do their best! They also speak to each other.
We have our own birds in this country and I personally feel we should all do our best to look after them and give them food and water. Many people do not want corvid in their gardens, because they scare off small birds. But, leaving food out for the birds benefits all of them! So, I think we have a duty to care for all of the wildlife around us. Corvids serve a huge purpose for the ecosystem and ecology around you. So whether you think meat eating birds is gross or not, they are the cleaners we need in the wild.