The Jackdaw is the smallest member of the Crow family. It can be seen throughout England in woodlands, fields, parks, on sea cliffs and even in towns and cities. Urban Jackdaws can be seen on the tops of roofs where they sometimes build nests in chimney pots. They build their nests near to other nests and by doing so create a loose nesting colony. A colony may be as large as twenty Jackdaws.

The Jackdaw can easily be recognised because it has silvery white coloured eyes and silver-grey feathers on its back and neck. The rest of the body is covered with dark grey feathers which look jet black from a distance. The feathers sometimes have a purple sheen to them.

Rural Jackdaws can often be seen feeding alongside sheep and cattle in fields where they forage the ground for insects, worms, grain and seeds. They sometimes look for eggs, fruit and berries in trees, like urban Jackdaws which also eat insects and worms. Jackdaws are very sociable birds that are often seen together in pairs or flying in large flocks. They are very aerobatic and can perform spectacular deep dives in the sky. On the ground the Jackdaw has a light rapid step and although it appears confident it is considered to be quite a shy garden bird.