Jackdaw Declared Bird of the Year in Russia

The press service of the Central Black Earth State Reserve announced that the Russian Bird Conservation Union has declared the jackdaw as the Bird of the Year. This species is widely distributed across most of the country, easily recognizable, and in need of human attention and assistance.

In the reserve, a large colony of jackdaws existed until the 1960s. At that time, there were about five hundred nests, and the birds were actively ringed. The reason for the population decline was the pine marten. This predator destroyed jackdaw eggs and chicks. Subsequently, these birds never nested in the reserve again. In the early 1990s, a small colony of jackdaws formed again in roadside poplars near the Streletsky section.

If earlier jackdaws were migratory birds, now many of them stay to winter in Russia. At the end of February, the colony comes to life: birds actively adjust new nests, in which the first eggs will soon appear. Chicks leave the parental home about a month after hatching. The fledged young birds lead a nomadic life until the next spring.

The jackdaw is often confused with the crow and the hooded crow. However, this bird has a distinctive feature - a whitish spot at the base of the beak. In addition, their distinguishing feature is nesting in colonies, which is not typical of crows, magpies, and jays.

"Bird of the Year" is an annual campaign aimed at drawing public attention to the problems of bird conservation.