A resident bird of Cyprus and the Akamas. It’s very common and widespread, in a wide variety of habitats, mainly in open areas with trees, orchards and very often inside towns and villages.

It nests on trees, making a nest of branches, open at the top, usually high up and well hidden in the leaves. It often forages in groups, looking for food. It is an omnivorous species, feeding on almost anything, depending on the area it lives in and what is available. It feeds on fruit and seeds, insects, eggs and chicks of other birds, small mammals and lizards, clams and fish washed up on beaches and the carcasses of other animals, and often feeds on human waste foods (e.g. from garbage).

It is a very adaptable and intelligent species, it has learned to live close to humans, avoiding threats and taking advantage of every available opportunity for food. It’s a quite large corvid, with a large and strong beak. It is black-grey in color, with a black head and bill and a black mark (like a tie) on the grey breast. Its most typical call is a loud characteristic ‘Kraaa’, but it has a variety of other calls, mostly hoarse.