Animals / Types of Birds / Crows, Jays, Ravens - Corvidae Family

Crows, Jays, Ravens - Corvidae Family

crow head

Crow

The Corvidae Family contains some of the most familiar and well-known birds – Crows, Ravens, Jays, Magpies, Nutcrackers and Rooks. These birds have become legends in many of the world’s mythologies. They have a reputation for intelligence and have been observed using tools. They may be aggressive and may even seem to be playful. Many corvids are famously omnivorous eating from many sources. Being so smart and omnivorous allows them to expand their geographical range, perhaps more than any other bird, although they still face their limits in harsh environments and with competition from other birds and animals. In the Pacific Northwest, the Stellar's Jays sometimes steal nuts out of the paws of squirrels. A crow might attack a dog or cat just for fun, swooping down to give them a peck on the head. They are a very interesting group of birds to watch.

carrion crow

Carrion Crow

Here is a very interesting story with video about the intelligence of Rooks and the ancient fable of Aesop - Clever Rooks. Other recent studies are revealing how the other related birds in the Corvidae Family do have "thinking" abilities.

nutcracker

Clark's Nutcracker - Source: M. Noonan

As the name suggests, the nutcracker likes to eat nuts best. They like pine nuts or seeds but also will eat insects, other birds eggs and carrion.

steller's jay

Steller's Jay - Source: M. Noonan

treepie

Asian Treepie - Source: David Behrens

magpie

Taiwan Blue Magpie

yellow-billed blue magpie

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie - Source: Rajiv Lather

The European Magpie is the only animal, that is not a mammal, that has been able to recognize itself in a mirror. They are also known to be no-nonsense scavengers and will eat whatever they have discovered is edible. They will sometimes attack the nests of other birds and eat the nestlings. There are about 9 fairly different species of magpie with different coloring.

Photo search for "Cyanocitta" on Flickr.com:

Wikipedia excerpt for "Corvidae":

Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English name used is corvids (more technically) or the crow family (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus Corvus, including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family.
They are considered the most intelligent of the birds having demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests (European Magpies) and tool making ability (Crows)
Corvids are found worldwide except for the tip of South America and the polar ice caps. The majority of the species are found in tropical South and Central America, southern Asia and Eurasia, with fewer than 10 species each in Africa, Australasia and North America...

See full Wikipedia Corvidae article