A resident bird of Cyprus and the Akamas. It is observed in flocks, mainly in places with cliffs and steep rocks. It can often be seen in abandoned stone-built villages, or in ruins.

It nests in holes in rocks, or in old buildings, rarely in tree trunks, making a nest of branches which is rarely visible. The flocks feed mainly on the ground, where they look for insects, worms, seeds, etc. They fly frequently and comfortably, making impressive formations, circling around the rocks or the places where they feed.

It is a rather small corvid, like a pigeon in size, with a black color, a grey nape and sky-blue eyes. Its main call is a characteristic monosyllabic ‘kia’, which it often repeats, and when in flocks several are heard at once. Its other calls include hoarse sounds more typical of corvids.