The corvids - jays, crows, magpies, and their relatives

Members of the Corvidea that I have photographed over the years.

The chances are that you are familiar with three or four of these birds, if you live in North America, that is.  If you are a birder, you may have seen them all.  There are a few I haven't included here, like the yellow-billed magpie, green jay, and pinion jay, as I have never photographed them (one day!).  Many of them are very comfortable around humans and are often found in urban areas or where people hang out.  

The behaviours they have in common is that they tend to be very vocal, they are gregarious, and they have opportunistic eating habits - they will eat just about anything they can catch, steal, or find.  They are also relatively smart, capable of problem-solving, have good memories, and can recognize human faces.  They all tend to be relatively large birds, with the raven being the biggest of the bunch.  

As a group, they can be found over most of North America, with their range increasing in some species.  Black-billed magpies are common throughout western North America, while blue jays are common throughout much of the central and eastern continent.  Scrub jays, all species, are mostly found along the western edges of the US and Mexico, their range barely extending into Canada.  They are also comfortable in arid climates.  Ravens and crows can be found throughout most of the continental US (including Alaska) and the southern half of Canada.  Steller's jays are common throughout western BC and many western states.  Clark's nutcracker has a very spotty range, but it is commonly associated with the mountains of the West.

As mentioned, they are not picky about where they get their food.  I have seen them catch and eat live food (mice, small birds, and insects), eggs, human food (French fries are a favourite), and pretty well anything they can break into smaller bits to ingest.  Many of the birds of the corvidea are easily tamed and some can even be taught to talk.  While crows have a very limited range of vocalizations, ravens are known for their ability to talk.

West Nile Virus is a pathogen that readily infects and kills members of this group.  They are highly susceptible to it and can be vectors for transmission.  Luckily, they have such a wide range and large population that they are not in danger.

You have to admit, they are a highly successful group.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com