Daurian Jackdaw

Corvus daurica (Pallas, 1776)

		light morph dark morph
2013-03-02 Enbekshi village, Almaty region 2013-03-02 Enbekshi village, Almaty region	© Vassiliy Fedorenko © Vassiliy Fedorenko

Description

Daurian Jackdaw is similar to Western Jackdaw, some lesser, with dark-brownish eyes. There are two color morphs. Birds of light morph have pale grey almost white underparts, nape, rear-neck and neck-flanks. Birds of dark morph are distinguished from Western Jackdaw by black underparts and barely pale head. Hybrids between two morphs exist. Juveniles are mostly similar to adults of dark morphs, but individual variability is very wide. In some opinions the morphs are the age phenomenon: birds of light morph are adults, but birds of dark morph are first-year birds (it is strange that it is not explore so far). Weight 120-200 gr, length 28-30, wing 21.3-23.8, wingspan 60-70 cm.

Distribution

Observed in Zaysan and Alakol depressions, in Ile valley and in Southern Altai on Markakol lake. In Ile valley near Dzharkent Daurian Jackdaws were observed from late October 1899 to early March 1900. On Markakol' lake recorded 10-30 March 1980, 10 March – 1 April 1982 and 16 March 1984. Birds collected near Chilik 12 December 1939, not far from Almaty 13 March 1951, and at Sunkar village (at foothills of Ketmen ridge) 24 May 1956. Near Tashkent one bird obtained 17 October 1926, and occasionally observed from late November to mid of December.

Biology

Daurian Jackdaw is rare winter visitor. In Kazakhstan occurs singly or in small groups with flocks of Western Jackdaw and Rooks.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 5. Издательство "Наука" Казахской ССР. Алма-Ата, 1974. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.