This is Bird Note.

The catchy name Jackdaw belongs to a European bird that looks like a compact crow drawn in shades of light and dark gray.

Jackdaws fly in aerobatic flocks, tumbling and swooping along the vertical

faces of cliffs and buildings. They're comfortable around people, which helps explain their

place in folklore for many centuries. An ancient Greek myth held that to catch one, you need

only a bowl of oil.

Attracted to its own reflection, the bird will fall face first into the oil for easy capture.

Some cultures saw the jackdaw as a predictor of rain, others as a savior of crops, or possibly an omen of death.

And some believed crossing paths with the jackdaw and route to your wedding was a sign of good luck.

Pears nest in cavities and flocks roam open country, parks, farmland, quarries, and churchyards.

They flourish in urban landscapes, too, where their mellow chatter announces that a tight flock will soon come streaming by,

almost as if they wanted to dazzle you.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

This episode is brought to you by Wild Delight Bird Food,

which aims to support bird populations with clean, nutritious ingredients in every blend.

Available at chewy.com.