Coloeus
Encyclopedia
Coloeus is a subgenus of the bird genus Corvus, the crows and allies. It contains two relatively small species both named as jackdaws. They have a blackish crown, wings and tail, the rest of the plumage being paler.
While some authors consider Coloeus a subgenus of Corvus, others have classified Coloeus as a distinct genus in the family Corvidae. Following Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide, the International Ornithological Congress
has also reassigned the two jackdaw species from the genus Corvus to the genus Coloeus.
The species are the Jackdaw
Corvus monedula, which breeds in the British Isles and western Europe, Scandinavia, northern Asia and Northern Africa, and its eastern counterpart, the Daurian Jackdaw
Corvus dauuricus, found from eastern Europe to Japan. The eastern species is smaller than the Jackdaw, and in the adult the pale areas of the plumage are almost white, whereas in the western bird these areas are pale grey. The iris is pale in Jackdaw and dark in Daurian Jackdaw. The two species are otherwise very similar in shape, calls and behaviour. There is an argument for lumping the subgenus members as one species, but they do not interbreed where their ranges meet in Mongolia
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While some authors consider Coloeus a subgenus of Corvus, others have classified Coloeus as a distinct genus in the family Corvidae. Following Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide, the International Ornithological Congress
International Ornithological Congress
The International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
has also reassigned the two jackdaw species from the genus Corvus to the genus Coloeus.
The species are the Jackdaw
Jackdaw
The Jackdaw , sometimes known as the Eurasian Jackdaw, European Jackdaw or Western Jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly sedentary, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are...
Corvus monedula, which breeds in the British Isles and western Europe, Scandinavia, northern Asia and Northern Africa, and its eastern counterpart, the Daurian Jackdaw
Daurian Jackdaw
The Daurian Jackdaw is a member of the Corvidae or crow family of birds. It is closely related to the Eurasian Jackdaw. The name derives from the Dauria region of eastern Russia....
Corvus dauuricus, found from eastern Europe to Japan. The eastern species is smaller than the Jackdaw, and in the adult the pale areas of the plumage are almost white, whereas in the western bird these areas are pale grey. The iris is pale in Jackdaw and dark in Daurian Jackdaw. The two species are otherwise very similar in shape, calls and behaviour. There is an argument for lumping the subgenus members as one species, but they do not interbreed where their ranges meet in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
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