Out on a limb in Richmond Park

Jackdaws
Jackdaws are one of the most numerous birds in the park. They are the smallest of the British crow family and easy to recognise with their pale eyes and silvery sheen on the back of the head on their otherwise totally black bodies.

Stand beneath a large flock of jackdaws on a wintery day and they create a gothic melancholy atmosphere. It is otherwise easy to overlook the jackdaw but they have an interesting social life. They are known to pair up for life and even within a large flock, pairs can be seen. Occasionally when a flock roost in a tree the pairs are all obvious.

Although intelligent birds, their gregarious and noisy character is referred to in popular culture. An old adage "The Swan will sing when the Jackdaw is silent" refers to wise people speaking only when fools have become silent.