Another day spent working on Yell where the highlight was obtaining much-improved views of the flock of Nordic Jackdaws present at Burravoe.
Burravoe: 5 European White-fronted Geese, Woodcock & 13 Nordic Jackdaws.
It must be c.25 years since Rudy Offereins published his ground-breaking article on the identification of the various subspecies of Western Jackdaw that still seems just as relevant today. Here’s an attempt at succinctly summarising its contents with regard to the distribution and identification of the various recognised subspecies and associated intergrades in Europe:
2cy Nordic Jackdaws at Burravoe
Part of a flock of 13 birds roaming the sheep fields that seemed mainly, perhaps entirely, comprised of 2cy individuals aged based on their retained brownish juvenile primaries and secondaries. The shape, intensity and apparent extent of their collars changed frequently due mainly to the posture of the birds.
2cy Nordic Jackdaw at Burravoe
By early Spring, feather wear exposes the bases of the feathers of the collar in all forms of Western Jackdaw. Field views confirmed the presence of brownish primaries on this individual ageing it as a 2cy. Its overall appearance is a very close match to the images (inset) of the Nordic Jackdaws that Rudy Offereins used to illustrate his article.
Rudy Offereins shared some remarks on the identification of first-winter Nordic Jackdaws as follows:
- The nape and neck-side-colour of Nordic Jackdaw resembles that of adult winter Jackdaw and is therefore paler than on 1st winter Jackdaw, resulting in a more contrasting crown and throat.
- Sometimes a faint collar or neckpatch is visible but this is not always the case.
- Nordic Jackdaw can be told from the almost uniform grey-black Common Jackdaw by its paler and greyer underparts.
2cy Nordic Jackdaw at Burravoe
In
flight, the whitish collar appeared as a more sharply-defined crescent but
proved no less eye-catching.
2cy Nordic Jackdaw at Burravoe
Prolonged views were essential to gain an accurate impression of the darkness/shade of any particular bird’s plumage. The above illustrates the danger of relying on the appearance conveyed by a single image. Here the light is playing tricks, as the same individual as in the top image now appears far more striking with its underparts including its throat appearing much blacker (and its apparent overall appearance thus now almost recalling that of Russian Jackdaw (inset)).
