The western jackdaw is a relatively small bird from the raven family that not too many people know about. Although almost everyone has likely seen and enjoyed it during their nature outings in Israel, the jackdaw is a kind of background bird.
In the field, you can always hear its loud calls of “kak...kak...” (sounding like its Hebrew name – kak). The jackdaw is also known by the name Eurasian or European jackdaw.
It is a common bird that can be found in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. As an omnivore, it eats everything within reach, with few limits, including seeds, fruits, insects, and small animals such as lizards. The kak is a social bird that lives in flocks and small colonies. Pairs stay together for life and the bird is considered intelligent, a trait that is considered typical for the raven family.
Researching the jackdaw
Konrad Lorenz, the famous zoologist, also worked with the jackdaw on his ethology (animal behavior) research when he discovered the imprinting phenomenon that shows very young animals follow instantly and automatically after their mother.
One day, Lorenz picked a very young jackdaw nestling that had likely fallen out of its nest. The young bird started to follow Lorenz. That behavior led the zoologist to discover the imprinting that happened in similar fashion with other birds like goslings (geese) and chicks.
To view larger numbers of jackdaws, visit Shfelat Yehuda and the Beit Guvrin area. In general, the western jackdaw can be seen from the North to the southern line of Dimona.
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