Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Crows
We have 5 species of crows that can be seen in gardens, although only the magpie and jackdaw are common visitors. Crows are in the family Corvidae which has 133 species globally, and 11 in Europe. Crows include the largest passerine or perching birds, with the raven (a British and Irish bird not found in gardens) weighing up to 1.2kg and reaching 63 cm in length. Crows are highly intelligent birds and their relative brain size to body weight is only slightly less than ours.
British and Irish crows are mostly black in colour, although the magpie has startlingly piebald plumage, and the jay is very colourful. No crows could be accused of having tuneful voices!
Click on the images below to go to the page for each species
46 cm
46 cm
45 cm
34 cm
45 cm - but mainly tail!
34 cm
Carrion crow
Large, dull black plumage throughout, solitary generally
Hooded crow
Sub species of carrion crow but has obvious grey back and belly
Rook
Nearly as big as the carrion crow, but plumage is shiny-black and has large white beak and "trousers". Highly gregarious
Jackdaw
Small and dainty, with much smaller beak than carrion crow, grey patch on the back of the head and neck
Magpie
Very long tail and distinctive black and white colour. Longer but lighter than the Jackdaw.
Jay
Similar size to jackdaw but less common in gardens. Very colourful pink body and bright blue wing patch
Crows
We have 5 species of crows that can be seen in gardens, although only the magpie and jackdaw are common visitors. Crows are in the family Corvidae which has 133 species globally, and 11 in Europe. Crows include the largest passerine or perching birds, with the raven (a British and Irish bird not found in gardens) weighing up to 1.2kg and reaching 63 cm in length. Crows are highly intelligent birds and their relative brain size to body weight is only slightly less than ours.
British and Irish crows are mostly black in colour, although the magpie has startlingly piebald plumage, and the jay is very colourful. No crows could be accused of having tuneful voices!
Click on the images below to go to the page for each species
46 cm
46 cm
45 cm
Carrion crow
Large, dull black plumage throughout, solitary generally
Hooded crow
Sub-species of carrion crow but has obvious grey back and belly
Rook
Nearly as big as the carrion crow, but plumage is shiny-black and has large white beak and "trousers". Highly gregarious
34 cm
45 cm - but mainly tail!
Jackdaw
Small and dainty, with much smaller beak than carrion crow, grey patch on the back of the head and neck
Magpie
Very long tail and distinctive black and white colour. Longer but lighter than the Jackdaw.
Jay
Similar size to jackdaw but less common in gardens. Very colourful pink body and bright blue wing patch
34 cm