Robert Byers  age 11, of St. Catharines, Onto., for his question;,

What type of bird is a jackdaw?

The sassy jackdaw is cousin to the crow, the raven, the rook and the magpie. All of them belong to the Corvidae bird family. If all the birds in the world took an intelligence test, this family would top the scores no doubt about it: And Mr. Jackdaw would fly off with the medal* In fact, he will fly off with any pretty little object that catches his eye.

You may be sorry to learn that this smart fellow is neither a Canadian nor an American. But wait ‑ smart people are not always the easy ones to get along with: True, people in his native Europe love their sassy jackdaw who can talk back. rBut there are times when they would gladly wring his shiny neck, He uses his wits to be mischievous. He will snitch jewels, spoons and other bright objects  especially if they happen to be your most cherished possessions,

The jackdaw is a smallish member of the crow family, about the size of a large grackle. He wears plumage of gleaming black with a bonnet and earmuffs of silvery grey. The handsome fellow adores people, probably because they are so easy to tease.

Sometimes he is adopted as a family pet. He shows off amusing tricks and soon learns to talk a few words in a raspy voice. In days gone by,  it was thought necessary to split his tongue before he could talk. Now we know ­that he will learn human talk without this cruel operation. He will talk back whether you encourage him to or not.

When adopted, he repays the kindness with mischief, He bosses the cat;= and dogs with his raspy human talk. He moves small objects from here to there. He figures out which is your favorite ring, brooch or lucky piece and bides his time, Sooner or later, you will put it down. To Mr. Jackdaw, this moment is worth the waiting. Quick as a flash he lifts it in his strong beak and flies off silent as a mouse. He hides his loot in his nest of sticks, often high in a castle turret or church steeple.

In Europe there are countless tales of his mischief, even in poems. Many an innocent party, they say, has served time for jackdaw thievery. The real culprit watched from the church steeple as his victim was hauled off to jail. Chances are, he later visited the poor fellow and spoke a few kind raspy words through prison bars.

After many years, the steeple or tall turret needed repair. A steeplejack climbed way up and what did he find? A twelve foot high nest of sticks  made by a jackdaw, glinting with bits of bright loot. Here is the cardinal's lost ring, six silver spoons engraved with Mrs. Webster's initials, Widow Browns gravy ladle and, of all things, Lady Grays diamond necklace that all the fuss was about, Naturally, when this shocking discovery is made, our smart jackdaw is nowhere to be found, That’s the type of bird a jackdaw is.