Daurian Jackdaw

Daurian Jackdaw (Coloeus dauuricus) is a small East Asian crow, usually black with contrasting pale grey-white sides to the neck and body, although dark individuals occur. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It forages socially across steppe, farmland and settlements for insects, grain and refuse, nests in cavities and often joins rooks and other crows in winter flocks. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).