Grey-Crowned Muse
After painting a miniature jackdaw portrait back in 2021, now for a larger artwork of a full body bird. Jackdaws are fascinating so here is some more information about this corvid clown.
The Jackdaw: Nature, Folklore, and Fascination
The jackdaw (Corvus monedula), one of Britain’s most charismatic corvids, combines charm, cunning, and centuries of cultural significance into a small, sleek, and highly intelligent package. Widespread across Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa, this sociable bird is easily recognised by its iridescent black and grey plumage, silvery-grey nape, and piercing pale blue or whitish eyes. As one of the smallest members of the crow family, the jackdaw stands apart not just for its physical appearance, but for its inquisitive behaviour, remarkable intelligence, and the curious niche it occupies in myth and society.
A Bird of Urban and Rural Worlds
Jackdaws are highly adaptable birds, frequently seen in both rural and urban settings across the United Kingdom. Whether perched atop chimney pots, wheeling around castle turrets, or foraging in pastureland, they have learned to thrive in proximity to humans. Their preferred nesting sites—crevices in old buildings, tree hollows, and cliff ledges—have allowed them to flourish in places where other wild birds may struggle. Chimneys in particular seem to appeal to jackdaws, leading to occasional household inconveniences but also an unmistakable connection between people and these birds.
Omnivorous by nature, jackdaws feed on a variety of items including insects, seeds, berries, carrion, and scraps of human food. Their feeding habits make them important participants in local ecosystems, particularly in seed dispersal and the management of pest populations. Unlike some of their corvid cousins, jackdaws are known to be less solitary, typically forming lifelong monogamous bonds and maintaining complex social hierarchies within their flocks.
Intelligence and Recognition
What truly sets jackdaws apart from many other birds is their intelligence. Numerous studies have shown that jackdaws possess cognitive abilities comparable to those of great apes in some respects. They demonstrate problem-solving skills, use tools in captivity, and perhaps most impressively, recognise individual human faces. In a study conducted by the University of Cambridge, wild jackdaws were shown to remember and react differently to humans who had previously posed a threat to them, exhibiting targeted defensive behaviour. These findings place jackdaws among the most cognitively advanced of avian species.
Social learning also plays a vital role in their lives. Experiments have shown that jackdaws can communicate danger to each other, learning collectively which humans or animals are to be regarded with caution. This sophisticated interplay of memory, recognition, and social cooperation highlights just how attuned jackdaws are to their environments—and to the people who share them.
Folklore and Superstition
Given their intelligence and proximity to humans, it is no surprise that jackdaws occupy a significant place in European folklore. Their fascination with bright and shiny objects has inspired the belief that jackdaws are thieves—an idea reinforced by their reputed habit of pilfering jewellery or other glittering trinkets.
In British tradition, jackdaws have often been regarded as omens—though whether for good or ill depends on the regional lore. Their tendency to nest in church steeples has linked them with spirituality and the supernatural. In certain Cornish tales, jackdaws are believed to embody the souls of the unbaptised or to act as messengers between worlds.
One notable idiom involving the bird is “as pert as a jackdaw,” describing someone who is cheekily bold or impudent—an apt comparison given the species’ behaviour. Their boldness, chattiness, and inquisitive nature have made them both admired and occasionally resented, much like the archetypal trickster figures of folklore.
In Welsh folklore, the jackdaw held a sacred status due to its habit of nesting in church steeples. Its preference for holy places was said to make it unwelcome to the Devil, who avoided the bird for its association with sanctity. Meanwhile, in the Fens during the nineteenth century, spotting a jackdaw en route to a wedding was thought to bring good fortune to the bride—a cheerful sign of blessings ahead.
Symbolism and Meaning
Across cultures, the jackdaw has been variously seen as a symbol of transformation, communication, and hidden knowledge. In some Northern European myths, they are carriers of secret messages, able to move between the realms of the living and the dead. In alchemical symbolism, the jackdaw sometimes represents paradox: the presence of darkness in light, or wisdom masked in folly.
In heraldry, a jackdaw or its likeness (often confused with a raven or crow) might be used to signify watchfulness, cleverness, or even cunning ambition. The bird’s role as both observer and trickster renders it an enduring symbol of those who thrive on wit and vigilance.
Literary and Artistic Appearances
Jackdaws have not only fascinated scientists and folklorists, but also writers and poets. Perhaps the most famous poetic reference comes from William Cowper, whose 1779 poem “The Jackdaw” tells the story of a tame jackdaw with an impish spirit:
“He chatter’d, nor ever a creature could be
More lively, more gamesome, more full of his glee;
He would perch on his master’s knee, sing, and play,
And seem to be asking the time of the day.”
Cowper’s jackdaw is affectionate, mischievous, and endearing—a depiction that echoes through much literature. In Charles Darwin’s time, jackdaws were frequently kept as pets, appreciated for their playfulness and their capacity to mimic human speech, much like magpies or parrots. Indeed, their social needs and capacity for interaction made them popular among naturalists and country folk alike.
Conservation and Protection
Despite being widespread and currently listed as a species of “Least Concern” by the IUCN, jackdaws are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the UK. This legislation prohibits the killing, injuring, or taking of jackdaws without a licence, as well as the destruction of their nests. Though not endangered, jackdaws, like many birds, are vulnerable to habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. As farmland becomes increasingly intensive and old buildings are sealed up or demolished, suitable nesting sites may diminish.
Efforts to encourage biodiversity, such as installing nest boxes or preserving hedgerows and mature trees, help ensure that these intelligent birds remain part of Britain’s avian landscape.
A Bird Worth Watching
In summary, the jackdaw is far more than just a black bird flitting around rooftops or calling from cathedral spires. It is a creature of immense complexity: a loyal mate, a shrewd learner, a cultural symbol, and a mirror to our own intellect. Whether observed in the wild, remembered in a poem, captured on canvas, or imagined in a tale of old, the jackdaw continues to command curiosity and admiration. In its bright eyes, one might glimpse not only the glint of stolen silver but the deeper light of intelligence shared across the species divide.
Limited edition fine art prints of this painting are now available:
