Crows, rooks and jays oh my!

The bird pictured here is a Rook, they are called Corvus Frugilegus and part of the Corvidae family. This post will be about the whole Corvidae family.

The family was first discrovered by the English zoologist William Elford Leech in 1820. It is suggested that the family started in New Zealand and Australia and now inhabit the majority of the world. Fossils of Corvidae members date back to 17 million years ago, in the mid Miocene era.

In terms of build, they are sturdy birds with strong legs. All of them have nostrils, a part from the Pinyon Jay. The majority of the bird in the family are blue, black or white, sometimes being a mix of them. Some more tropical Corvidae are brightly coloured. Their bills are very strong bills and a large wingspan. The smallest family member is the Dwaf Jay, weighing in at 41 grams and 21.5cm. The largest is the common Raven and the thick billed Raven, both of which weighing an estimated 1,400 grams and 65cm.

Generally, they are not migratory birds but will travel in the case of a food shortage and travel south. Crows and Ravens have thrived in cities and other areas of human development.

Many corvids live in a hierarchy and in social groups. This has been seen with Jackdaws, this way of living helps with breeding and the ability to provide mutual aid to other members of the group. Young birds have been noted to play and create games with each other. These games are often in the form of 'following the leader' and passing sticks. Even adult birds play in ways which help their survival such as sliding down surfaces.

Before humans started to thrive as much as we have, corvids stuck to insects and nestlings, however now some animals such as crows eat things that people leave out including dog food. Other species have even taken to eating fish

Magpies are very smart. They have been able to pass the mirror test and even have rituals in their groups. When one bird dies, they have been observed to place a grass wreath over and around the body. It has been theorised due to this that they can feel more complex emotions such as grief.

I hope you learnt something today, see you next time. As its nearing christmas (13/12/19) posts might slow down a bit, but I aim to have a few animals up over the holidays.
-Dari