JACKDAW or DAW, one of the smallest species of the genus Corvus (see CRow), and a well-known inhabitant of Europe, C. monedula. It associates with the rook during a great part of the year ; but almost invariably chooses holes for its nest of sticks, sometimes even breeding in rabbit burrows. Nearly every church-tower and castle is occupied by daws. Their industry in collecting materials for their nests is marvellous. In some cases the stack of loose sticks piled up by claws in a tower has been known to form a structure 12 ft. in height. The style of architecture practised by the daw thus brings it more than the rook into contact with man, and its familiarity is increased by the boldness of its disposi tion which, though tempered by cunning, is hardly surpassed among birds. Its pilferings are not to be
denied, though its services to the agriculturist are great, for in the destruction of injurious insects it is hardly inferior to the rook, and it has the useful habit of ridding sheep of some of their parasites.
The daw displays a glossy black plumage in the adult, varied by grey ear-coverts, and nape and sides of the neck. Examples from the east of Europe and western Asia have these parts much lighter. Further to the eastward occurs the C. dauuricus, which has much of the lower parts of the body white also. Japan and northern China are inhabited by a form (C. neglectus) wanting the grey nape. The daws are sometimes placed in a genus (Monedula) of their own.