Clever Crows IDs

Illustrations and key facts to help you identify the members of the Crow family you can see on the Isle of Man.

Magpie

Manx: Pieanat

Size: 44-46cm

Song: Sounds like cackling and mischievous laughter.

Fun fact: Build 80cm high domed nests, which they sometimes decorate with shiny objects.

Jay

Manx: Screeaghag cheylley

Size:34-35cm

Song: A raspy, screeching call.

Fun fact: Jays love to eat acorns, and in the autumn, they can be seen burying them to retrieve them later in the winter.

*Whilst we don’t have Jays on the Isle of Man, they can be seen across the rest of the British Isles except in the most northerly areas of Scotland.

Jackdaw

Manx: Juan teayst

Size: 34cm

Song: Sounds like it is saying part of its name ‘tchack tchack’ (Jack Jack).

Fun fact: Nests in holes in rural and urban areas, including church towers and chimneys!

Chough

Manx: Caaig

Size: 39-40cm

Song: Mix of ‘cheeows’ and ‘kaahs’.

Fun fact: Need healthy farmland with short grass to feed in and love to eat dung beetles they dig for in and around cow poo!

Hooded Crow

Manx: Fannag

Size: 45-47cm

Song: Mix of repeated ‘caws’ and ‘kaahs’.

Fun fact: Only lives in northern and western Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ireland, whereas the closely related Carrion Crow lives in England, southern and eastern Scotland, Isle of Man and east coast of Ireland.

Carrion Crow

Manx: Fannag ghoo

Size: 45-47cm

Song: Mix of repeated ‘caws’ and ‘kaahs’.

Fun fact: In Japan, they drop walnuts on roads, wait for cars to crack the shells open and when the traffic stops, they collect the nuts!

Rook

Manx: Trogh

Size: 44-46cm

Song: Mix of repeated ‘caws’ and ‘kaahs’.

Fun fact: Sociable birds with thousands nesting and roosting together in ‘rookeries’ in the tops of tall trees. They often steal sticks from each other!

Raven

Manx: Feeagh

Size: 60-68cm

Song: ‘Croak’ or ‘kronk’ is most often heard but scientists have found they can make over 30 distinct call types!

Fun fact: Mythical Ravens Huginn and Muninn are said to sit on Norse God Odin’s shoulders and whisper all the news which they see and hear into his ear.

© All illustrations copyright Mike Langman (rspb-images.com)

Practice your Clever Crow ID skills with our Clever Crow worksheets

Birds on your doorstep IDs

April 19th, 2025|0 Comments