England’s Eight Species of Crows (the brainy birds!)
England has eight species of crows (corvids). From Cornish choughs (above) to more common carrion crows (the ones poking around your lawn, taking an interest in everything that moves). Let’s meet all of them (and how to tell the difference), then learn how we can help these most intelligent of birds.
All UK crows are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. You can contact National Wildlife Crime Unit (anonymous if preferred) to report any concerns.
Got Crows Nesting In Your Chimney?
Read up on how to stop birds nesting in chimneys.
How to Help England’s Crows
Crows often visit gardens, though they don’t tend to use nestboxes, as they are too large. Keep cats inside at dawn and dusk, when birds are likely feeding (and avoid wooden birdfeeders, that cats can claw up).
- Report broken street lights at Fix My Street and ask your council to install wildlife-friendly lighting). This stops birds waking up at midnight, due to light pollution (affects feeding and breeding).
- Never give garden birds stale, mouldy or crusty bread (can choke) nor buttered bread (fat smears on feathers, affecting weatherproofing and insulation). Also don’t feed nuts to baby birds (buy proper feeders from garden centres with knowledge). Creating natural habitats is best (read our post on pet-friendly gardens).
- Never use bright or tin bird houses (overheat and attract predators)
- Turn off indoor lights when not in use, and don’t face foliage to face gardens. Read more on how to stop birds flying into windows.
Carrion Crows are big heavy birds with blunt black beaks, usually found alone or in pairs. Like most crows, they live on seeds, fruits, eggs, young birds and carrion (carcasses).
Hooded Crows look similar to carrion crows, but have grey backs. They are only really found in Scotland and Ireland.
Rooks are also big heavy crows, but they have purple feathers and pale grey longer beaks, with ruffled ‘baggy shorts’. They are more social and likely to be found nesting in mature trees in the countryside. They have good memories, often returning to food they have stored earlier on.
Ravens are less common. They are bigger than other crows with metallic feathers and wedge-shaped tails. They are very playful, often flying upside-down for fun. Young ravens drop sticks mid-air, to fly and catch them.
These are the birds at the Tower of London. They have their wings clipped to stop them flying off, though the tower claims this is to keep them safe and well-fed, as they have never lived in the wild.
Jackdaws are rare smaller crows with short beaks, grey ‘hoods’ behind their head and pale blue-grey eyes (young birds have darker eyes). They often nest on rooftops and chimneys with noisy chicks. They can also often be found nesting in churches, trees and on cliff ledges.
Jackdaws are often seen swaggering about, as if they’re carrying a couple of radiators.
You can be walking along and a jackdaw will look you right in the eye, like he’s reading your mind and make you feel slightly unsettled before flying off. Matt Sewell
Magpies actually have some purple feathers (they are not just black-and-white). These small birds look bigger, due to their very long tails.
Known for their rattling calls, it’s not true that magpies like shiny jewellery (they are more likely to steal your sandwich!)
Another myth is the ‘one for sorrow, two for joy’ belief. This comes from an ancient nursery rhyme, and has no meaning. In China to see one magpie is good luck!
Choughs are unique crows that are easy to spot as they have red beaks and legs. Previously endangered, these birds are now thriving thanks to conservation efforts, and can also be found in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Choughs use their long bills to eat beetle larvae and leatherjackets. They have a loud ‘chee-ow’ song, and are mostly found on cliff faces and rock ledges, but also nest in empty buildings.
Keep at least 50 metres away from coastal birds (if they fly away, this wastes energy that could be spent feeding).
Beautiful Blue Jays (shy woodland birds)
Jays are one of England’s most exotic looking birds, simply because amid their brown bodies, they have beautiful bright blue patches, almost unique in bird world – along with black moustaches!
The blue colour though is not due to pigment in the feathers (they are brown), it’s from light scattering (a bit like polar bears have translucent, not white fur).
Read how to create safe havens for garden birds (jays are more likely to visit woodland) and how to stop birds flying into windows.
Jays are one of England’s eight species of crow birds. These are woodland birds, ‘noisy chatterboxes’ that you may hear screeching in the park, but are unlikely to see, as they often hide away.
What’s important (and quite funny) about jays, is that they are very forgetful. So they hunt for acorns, then store them away, often forget where they put some of them, so are almost single-handedly responsible for many of England’s beautiful oak trees that grow from their forgotten stash!
Oak trees (and acorns) are unsafe near pets, horse and livestock, so keep them well away.
Jays also eat other foods, including fruits, beetles and caterpillars (which is why we need to protect natural habitats for butterflies). They are also good at mimicking the calls of other birds, to deter predators.
All UK crows are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Report concerns to Crimestoppers Wildlife Crime (anonymous).
Jays are brown birds, with beautiful blue patches and ‘black moustaches’. Mostly found in woodland, you are more likely to hear these noisy chatterboxes in the park, giving out loud screeches as they search for acorns, fruits, beetles and caterpillars.
They will be hiding under their ‘black moustaches’ as they fly between trees.
Ecological writer Satish Kumar once wrote that in order to love nature, you have to know her. So in that vain, here are some wonderful books to instil a passion for our feathered friends, for young readers.
Before the recent uprising in Syria, the writer Michel Kilo shared a story of a 5-year old child that he had met in prison. Living with his mother in a cell with no window, he did not know what a bird was, as he had never seen the sky.
What Makes Crows Intelligent?
With the biggest brain-to-body ratio of any bird, crows are one of just four species (along with humans, chimpanzees, orangutans) that can make tools. They have been known to craft ‘hooks’ from twigs, to fish out creatures from tree crevices.
They also have been seen dropping stones to raise the level of water (so food floats closer). And dropping nuts onto roads, waiting for cars to run over them, then flying down to retrieve their dinner!
Crows are (mostly) sociable birds, that often ‘teach skills’ to other birds. They also watch and learn.
Say if one crow learns how to access food from a new source, the other birds will do the same. Crows can also warn each other of threats, and recognise different faces.
Although mostly solitary, crows are even known to hold ‘funerals’ for dead birds. They peck dead birds, ward away predators trying to eat the corpse, and even make cawing noises (like a hymn).
How to Help Orphaned or Injured Crows
- Observe lone baby crows or ravens up to an hour, as parents are likely still nearby and feeding chicks. If not, place in a high tree, and observe. If the bird is injured or parents don’t return (or if the bird has few/no feathers so is too young to stay in a tree), call local wildlife rescue.
- Keep the chick warm: If you need to take temporary care, place the chick in a small box lined with soft cloth. Keep it in a warm, quiet spot away from pets, children, and noise.
- Avoid feeding or giving water: Baby birds have very specific diets, and incorrect food or water can cause harm. Do not try to feed or hydrate the chick yourself.
- Some birds need professional help, especially if they’re injured, sick, or very young without a nest. Wildlife rehabilitation centres have the training and resources to care for birds properly.
- Limit handling: Handling stresses young birds. Keep contact brief and only if necessary to move the bird to safety.
Avoid Disturbing Active Nests
- Wait until fledging: Avoid work or maintenance around the chimney or nesting spots until the young birds have left the nest. Disturbing active nests is illegal.
- Plan preventative work for off-season: Schedule chimney bird-proofing, cleaning, or repairs outside nesting months, usually late autumn or winter.
Learn About Super-Brainy Birds!
How to Know a Crow is an illustrated guide to one of the brainiest creatures on earth. From the moment baby crow Oki pokes her egg tooth through the shell and merges into the nest, we follow her through life.
Crows are all around us – shouting from lamp posts, poking around on lawns, and generally taking a bright-eyed interest in everything that moves!
