Eurasian jay
Dendrocopos medius
Habitat
The Eurasian jay is found in northern, central and eastern Europe as far as the Urals.
This bird species inhabits all kinds of forests, but prefers beech forests, hornbeam forests and oak forests. In addition, its habitat includes parks, orchards, urban areas and large gardens.
Appearance
Diet
The Eurasian jay is an omnivore, which means that this bird species eats both plant and animal material.
Breeding
The Eurasian jay adopts a monogamous mating system. The breeding season starts from mid-April.
In March and April, unpaired Eurasian jays hold spontaneous gatherings to search for a mate. During the mating ritual, Eurasian jays perform several vocalizations. Male Eurasian jays will chase the females. The spontaneous gatherings are usually triggered by an existing pair of Eurasian jays. Because of the pair’s vocalizations, unpaired Eurasian jays get excited. This makes unpaired Eurasian jays want to search for a mate. Later during the season, gatherings may occur. These gatherings are likely due to the loss of a mate.
To strengthen the bond between the pair, the male tears food into smaller portions. The male then offers the food to the female. During this ritual, the pair calls lovingly to each other. When the female is busy making the nest, the male will also provide her with food.
The Eurasian jay nests solitary. The nest is located 4 to 6 m above the ground, in a junction of a large branch with the main trunk. The male and female build the nest. It consists of a platform of twigs. The inside is lined with soft plant material.
The clutch contains 3 to 10 eggs. The female incubates the eggs in 16 to 19 days. The male sometimes helps incubate the eggs. In between, the female cleans the nest by eating the parasites.
After hatching, the young remain in the nest for 19 to 23 days. When the young fledge, they will be dependent on the parents for another 7 to 8 weeks. When the parents begin to react aggressively to the young, it is time for the young to leave the “parental nest.”
Carrion crow
Corvus corone
Habitat
The Carrion crow lives in Britain, France, Spain and from eastern Portugal to Denmark, western Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, northern Italy and Switzerland. During the winter season, this bird species winters in southern and western Corsica, Sardinia and southeastern Europe.
Its habitat consists of open landscapes with scattered trees, such as mixed farmland, fields, parks, gardens, heaths, islands, coastal strips, coastal cliffs, estuary and forest clearings.
Appearance
Diet
The Carrion crow is an omnivore, but feeds primarily on carrion (animal remains).
Breeding
The Carrion crow practices a monogamous mating system, with the pair bond lasting for life. The breeding season starts in late March.
This bird species nests solitary, but it is sometimes common for 3 pairs to nest in the same tree.
Both the male and female build the nest, but the female does most of the work. The nest is usually built in the crown of a tall tree. In addition, the nest can be built on electricity pylons, on cliff ledges, on the ground, in old buildings and reed beds. The construction period usually lasts 20 days.
The nest consists of a large structure of sticks and twigs. Often the pair also adds rabbit bones, wire and heather twigs. The base of the nest consists of mud. The inside of the nest is lined with wool, animal fur, soft grasses, feathers and paper.
The Carrion crow lays 4 to 5 eggs. The female incubates the eggs in 17 to 22 days. The male will provide the female with food for the first 9 to 10 days. Then the male will take over brooding for a short period of time so the female can feed. After the eggs hatch, the pair will care for the young. After 30 to 34 days, the young will fly out. They will then be fed by the parents for several more weeks.
Continental great cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis
Habitat
The Continental great cormorant is found in central Europe to the north and south of Europe. In addition, this bird species lives in India and Sri Lanka to northeastern Russia, to northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula, to southern Turkey, to central Asia and to northern Mongolia. This bird species additionally inhabits the central and southern parts of Cambodia, southern Vietnam and northeastern Borneo.
The Continental great cormorant lives near open waters, both at sea and inland. This bird species inhabits habitats with marshes, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, wide rivers, salt pans and flooded areas.
Appearance
Diet
The Continental great cormorant eats almost exclusively Fish, some Crustaceans and Amphibians.
Breeding
The Continental great cormorant lives monogamous and breeds in colonies with other Cormorants, Herons, Spoonbills and Ibises. In the Netherlands, breeding occurs in December. Colonies breed into late August, with a 2nd clutch occurring from mid-April into June.
The male first searches for a suitable nest site, which will be up to 15 to 20 km away from the feeding area. Once the male has found a suitable nest site, the male will start building the nest. The nest is built mainly in trees, in shrubs, in reed beds or on the ground. Near the coast, the nest will be made in cliffs, on rocks, between boulders and sometimes on wrecked ships.
The nest consists of sticks, reeds and seaweed. The male will line the inside of the nest with fine materials.
The male will then wave his wings to attract a female. With this posture, the brightly colored skin of the head and neck becomes visible. After this, the male will perform courtship dances, such as dancing in the water. Once the male and female form a pair, they will lose the crest on the head.
The female lays 2 to 6 eggs and incubates these eggs in 27 to 31 days. After about 50 days, the young will fledge. After the young leave the nest, they will be cared for by both parents for another 50 days.
Grey heron
Ardea cinerea
Habitat
The Grey heron inhabits most of the Palearctic region and migrates to Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
This bird species is found in all species of shallow water, as long as there is sufficient food available. The Grey heron inhabits areas with rivers, lakes, canals, ditches, ponds, swamps, rice paddies, irrigated farmland and open grasslands, but there must be some trees in the area. On the coast, the Grey heron is found near deltas, mudflats and mangroves.
Appearance
Diet
The Grey heron feeds primarily on Fish, but also on Amphibians, Crabs, Mollusks, Crustaceans, Snakes, small Rodents and certain Birds.
Breeding
The Grey heron adopts a monogamous mating system, where the pair bond remains only during the breeding season. Thus, this bird species looks for a new partner each breeding season. The Grey heron breeds in mixed colonies of 100 to 1,000 pairs together. In the Netherlands, solitary breeding is becoming more common.
At the beginning of the breeding season, the male searches for a suitable nest site, which often consists of small islands in a pond or puddle.
As the male searches for a female, he produces the courtship call to attract a mate. The female chooses a mate by approaching the nest site. If the male is uninterested, he will chase the female away by showing no interest in her. If both the male and the female are interested, a courtship takes place. The courtship consists of stretching the neck, making bows and clapping the beak. If the female approves, the pair proceeds to mutually groom each other.
The female builds the nest located on the ground or a cliff. The nest can also be made in a tree, reed bed or shrub. In addition, the female may choose to build the nest near a bridge. The male will provide the materials to build the nest, such as sticks and grass.
The female lays 1 to 10 eggs. Incubation of the eggs takes an average of 25 to 26 days. After 50 days, the young fly out. The first 10 to 20 days the young do remain near the nest.