Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Long jump

2008-10-05T07:50:37Z

76.202.197.92: stray period

[[Image:Sdiri vole.jpg|thumb|300px|Long jumper at the GE Money Grand Prix in [[Helsinki]], July 2005.]]
The '''long jump''' is an [[athletics (track and field)]] event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far from the take-off point as possible.

Competitors sprint down a runway (usually coated with the same rubberized surface as running tracks, [[crumb rubber]] or [[vulcanized rubber]]) and jump as far as they can from behind a foul line (commonly referred to as the "board", and usually defined by the trailing edge of a takeoff board embedded flush with the runway surface, or a painted mark on the runway) into a pit filled with finely ground gravel or sand. The distance traveled by a jumper is often referred to as the “mark” because it is the distance to the nearest mark made in the sand from the foul line. If the competitor starts the leap with any part of the foot past the foul line, the jump is declared illegal and no distance is recorded. At the elite level, a layer of [[plasticine]] is placed immediately after the board to detect this occurrence. Otherwise, an official (similar to a [[referee]]) will observe the jump and make the determination. The competitor can initiate the jump from any point behind the foul line; however, the distance measured will always be from the foul line. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the competitor to get as close to the foul line as possible.

Usually, each competitor has a set number of attempts to make his or her longest jump, and only the longest legal jump counts towards the results. Typically, competitors have three trial jumps with which to make their best effort. Higher level competitions are split into two rounds: trials and finals. In competitions containing a final round, only a select number of competitors are invited to return for further competition. The number of competitors chosen to return to the final round is determined before the start of the meet by a committee composed of coaches and officials. It is standard practice to allow one more competitor than the number of scoring positions to return to the final round. For example, if a given meet allows the top eight competitors to score points, then the top nine competitors will be selected to compete in the final round. Taking an extra competitor to the final round helps to allow that athlete to move into a scoring position if the competitor can improve on his or her best mark of the competition. Final rounds are viewed as an additional three jumps, as they do not have any priority to those scored in the trial round. The competitor with the longest legal jump (from either the trial or final rounds) at the end of competition is declared the winner. (For specific rules and regulations in [[United States|U.S.]] Track & Field see Rule 185<ref name="usatf">{{cite web| url = http://www.usatf.com/about/rules/2006/| title = USATF – 2006 Competition Rules| accessdate = 2006-10-29| accessmonthday = October 29| accessyear = 2006 | format = HTML | publisher = USA Track & Field }}
:*See '''Rule 185''' in [http://www.usatf.com/about/rules/2006/2006USATFRules_Article3.pdf ''Article III'']</ref>).

There are four main components of the long jump: the approach run, the last two strides, takeoff and action in the air, and landing. Speed in the run-up, or approach, and a high leap off the board are the fundamentals of success. Because speed is such an important factor of the approach, it is not surprising that many long jumpers also compete successfully in sprints. A classic example of this long jump / sprint doubling is performances by [[Carl Lewis]].

The long jump is notable for two of the longest-standing world records in any track and field event. In 1935, [[Jesse Owens]] set a long jump world record that was not broken until 1960 by [[Ralph Boston]]. Later, [[Bob Beamon]] jumped 8.90 meters (29 feet, 2-1/2 inches) at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] at an altitude of 7,349 feet, a jump not exceeded until 1991. On [[August 30]] of that year, [[Mike Powell (athlete)|Mike Powell]] of the [[United States|USA]], in a well-known show down against Carl Lewis, leapt 8.95 meters at the [[1991 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] in [[Tokyo]], setting the current men's world record. Some jumps over 8.95 meters have been officially recorded (8.99 meters by Mike Powell himself, 8.96 meters by [[Ivan Pedroso]]), but were not validated since there was either no reliable wind speed measurement available, or because wind speed exceeded 2.0 m/s. The current world record for women is held by [[Galina Chistyakova]] of the former [[Soviet Union]] who leapt 7.52 meters in [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] in 1988.

==History==

[[Image:Halteres from ancient Greece.JPG|thumb|300px|Halteres used in athletic games in ancient Greece.]]
The long jump was one of the events of the original Olympics in Ancient Greece. The athletes carried a weight in each hand, which were called [[Halteres (ancient Greece)|halteres]]. These weights were swung forward as the athlete jumped in order to increase momentum. It is commonly believed that the jumper would throw the weights behind him in mid-air to increase his forward momentum; however, halteres were held throughout the duration of the jump. Swinging them down and back at the end of the jump would change the athlete's center of gravity and allow the athlete to stretch his legs outward, increasing his distance. Most notable in the ancient sport was a man called [[Chionis of Sparta|Chionis]], who in the 656BC Olympics staged a jump of 7 meters and 5 centimeters (23 feet and 1.5 inches).<ref name="ancient_origins">{{cite web | url = http://www.times-olympics.co.uk/communities/athletics/athleticsancient.html | title = Ancient Origins | accessdate = 2006-10-29 | accessmonthday = October 29 | accessyear = 2006 | format = HTML | publisher = The Times/The Sunday Times }}</ref>

The long jump has been part of modern [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] competition since the inception of the [[Summer Olympic Games|Games]] in 1896. In 1914, Dr. Harry Eaton Stewart recommended the “running broad jump” as a standardized track and field event for women.<ref name="Tricard">{{cite book | last = Tricard | first = Louise Mead | title = American Women’s Track & Field: A History, 1895 Through 1980 | accessdate = 2006-10-29 | date= 1996-07-01 | publisher = McFarland & Company | id = ISBN 0-7864-0219-9 | pages = 60-61}}</ref> However, it was not until 1928 that women were allowed to compete in the event at the Olympic level (See [[Athletics (track and field)|Athletics - track and field]]).

==The approach==

The objective of the approach is to gradually accelerate to a maximum controlled speed at takeoff. The most important factor for the distance traveled by an object is its [[velocity]] at takeoff - both the speed and angle. Elite jumpers usually leave the ground at an angle of twenty degrees or less; therefore, it is more beneficial for a jumper to focus on the speed component of the jump. The greater the speed at takeoff, the longer the trajectory of the [[center of mass]] will be. The importance of a takeoff speed is a factor in the success of sprinters in this event.

The length of the approach is usually consistent distance for an athlete. Approaches can vary between 12 and 19 strides on the novice and intermediate levels, while at the elite level they are closer to between 20 and 22 strides. The exact distance and number of strides in an approach depends on the jumper’s experience, sprinting technique, and conditioning level. Consistency in the approach is important as it is the competitor’s objective to get as close to the front of the takeoff board as possible without crossing the line with any part of the foot.

Inconsistent approaches are a common problem in the event. As a result the approach is usually practiced by athletes about 6-8 times per jumping session (see [[Long Jump#Training|Training]] below).

==The last two strides==
The objective of the last two strides is to prepare the body for takeoff while conserving as much speed as possible.

The penultimate (second to last)stride is longer than the last stride. The competitor begins to lower his or her center of gravity to prepare the body for the vertical impulse. The final stride is shorter because the body is beginning to raise the center of gravity in preparation for takeoff.

The last two strides are extremely important because they determine the velocity with which the competitor will enter the jump.

==Takeoff==
The objective of the takeoff is to create a vertical impulse through the athlete’s center of gravity while maintaining balance and control.

This phase is one of the most technical parts of the long jump. Jumpers must be conscious to place the foot flat on the ground, because jumping off either the heels or the toes negatively affects the jump. Taking off from the board heel-first has a braking effect, which decreases velocity and strains the joints. Jumping off the toes decreases stability, putting the leg at risk of buckling or collapsing from underneath the jumper. While concentrating on foot placement, the athlete must also work to maintain proper body position, keeping the torso upright and moving the hips forward and up to achieve the maximum distance from board contact to foot release.

There are four main styles of takeoff: the kick style, double-arm style, sprint takeoff, and the power sprint or bounding takeoff.

===Kick===
The kick style takeoff is a style of takeoff where the athlete actively cycles the leg before a full impulse has been directed into the board then landing into the pit.

===Double-arm ===
The double-arm style of takeoff works by moving both arms in a vertical direction as the competitor takes off. This produces a high hip height and a large vertical impulse.

===Sprint ===
The sprint takeoff is the style most widely instructed by coaching staff. This is a classic single-arm action that resembles a jumper in full stride. It is an efficient takeoff style for maintaining velocity through takeoff.

===Power sprint or bounding ===
The power sprint takeoff, or bounding takeoff, is arguably one of the most effective styles. Very similar to the sprint style, the body resembles a sprinter in full stride. However, there is one major difference. The arm that pushes back on takeoff (the arm on the side of the takeoff leg) fully extends backward, rather than remaining at a bent position. This additional extension increases the impulse at takeoff.

The “correct” style of takeoff will vary from athlete to athlete.

==Action in the air and landing==
There are three major flight techniques for the long jump: the hang, the sail and the hitch-kick. Each technique is to combat the forward rotation experienced from take-off but is basically down to preference from the athlete. It is important to note that once the body is airborne, there is nothing that the athlete can do to change the direction they are travelling and consequently where they are going to land in the pit. However, it can be argued that certain techniques influence an athlete’s landing, which can have an impact on distance measured. For example, if an athlete lands feet first but falls back because they are not correctly balanced, a lower distance will be measured.

===Sail===

The sail technique is one of the most basic long jump techniques practiced by competitors. After the takeoff phase is complete, the jumper immediately lifts the legs into a toe-touching position. This is useful, as it allows the competitor to move into the landing position early.

===Hang===

The hang technique works by lengthening the body to make it as efficiently long as possible. Here both the arms and legs are extended to reach a maximum distance from the hips to increase distance. This position is held until after the jumper reaches the apex of the jump, at which point the athlete will snap the legs forward into a landing position.

===Hitch-kick===

The hitch-kick is also known as “climbing” or “running in the air”. This technique counteracts the athletes rotational velocity by cycling the arms and legs during the flight, and is also the most complex technique.

In-the-air techniques are generally selected by the athlete and coach during training based on an individual athlete’s skills and experience.

When landing, it is the primary objective of the competitor '''not''' to fall back in the landing pit. The jump is measured from the location in which the body contacts the sand closest to the takeoff point. For this reason many jumpers will work on keeping their feet in front of the body at a maximum distance from the hips. Upon landing, competitors will often use their arms in a sweeping motion to help keep the legs up and the body forward. upon contacting the ground, the athlete will push their legs hard into the sand and rotate the body sideways, this slows the vertical (downward) momentum of the bottom and also rotates it to the side of the athlete trying to ensure that the heels are the furthest back body part.

==Training==
The long jump generally requires training in a variety of areas. These areas include, but are not limited to, those listed below.

===Jumping===
Long Jumpers tend to practice jumping 1-2 times a week. Approaches, or run-throughs, are repeated sometimes up to 6-8 times per session.

===Over-distance running===
Over-distance [[running]] workouts helps the athlete jump a further distance than their set goal. For example, having a 100m runner practice by running 200m repeats on a track. This is specifically concentrated in the season when athletes are working on building [[endurance]]. Specific over-distance running workouts are performed 1-2 times a week. This is great for building sprint endurance, which is required in competitions where the athlete is sprinting down the runway 3-6 times.

===Weight training===
During pre-season training and early in the competition season weight training tends to play a major role. It is customary for a long jumper to weight train up to 4 times a week, focusing mainly on quick movements involving the legs and trunk. Some athletes perform olympic lifts in training. Athletes use low repetition and emphasize speed to maximize the strength increase while minimizing adding additional weight to their frame.

===Plyometrics===
[[Plyometrics]], including running up and down stairs and hurdle bounding, can be incorporated into workouts, generally twice a week. This allows an athlete to work on agility and explosiveness.

===Bounding===
Bounding is any sort of continuous jumping or leaping. Bounding drills usually require single leg bounding, double-leg bounding, or some variation of the two.  The focus of bounding drills is usually to spend less time on the ground as possible and working on technical accuracy, fluidity, and jumping endurance and strength. Technically, bounding is part of plyometrics, as a form of a running exercise such as high knees and butt kicks.

===Flexibility===
[[Flexibility]] is an always forgotten tool for long jumpers. Effective flexibility prevent injury, which can be important for high impact events such as the long jump. It also helps the athlete sprint down the runway.

A common tool in many long jump workouts is the use of [[Video tape recording|video taping]]. This lets the athlete to go back and watch their own progress as well as letting the athlete compare their own footages to some of the world class jumpers.

Training style, duration, and intensity vary immensely from athlete to athlete based on the experience and strength of the athlete as well as on their coaching style.

==World Record Progression==
===Men===
{| class="prettytable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- bgcolor=#00000
!align="left" style="width: 5em"|MARK!!align="left" style="width: 18em"|ATHLETE!!align="left" style="width: 12em"|VENUE!!style="width: 10em"|DATE
|-
|align="center"| '''7.61'''
||{{flagathlete|[[Peter O'Connor]]|IRL}}*
|align="center"|[[Dublin]]
|align="center"|[[1901-08-05]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.69'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Edwin Gourdin]]|USA|1912}}
|align="center"|[[Cambridge]]
|align="center"|[[1923-07-23]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.76'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Robert LeGendre]]|USA|1912}}
|align="center"|[[Paris]]
|align="center"|[[1924-07-07]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.89'''
|{{flagathlete|[[William DeHart Hubbard]]|USA|1912}}
|align="center"|[[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]]
|align="center"|[[1925-06-13]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.90'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ed Hamm|Edward Hamm]]|USA|1912}}
|align="center"|[[Cambridge]]
|align="center"|[[1928-07-07]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.93'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Sylvio Cator]]|HAI}}
|align="center"|[[Paris]]
|align="center"|[[1928-09-09]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.98'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Chuhei Nambu]]|JPN}}
|align="center"|[[Tokyo]]
|align="center"|[[1931-10-27]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.13'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jesse Owens]]|USA|1912}}
|align="center"|[[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]]
|align="center"|[[1935-05-25]]
|-
|align="center"| '''8.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Walnut, California|Walnut]]
|align="center"|[[1960-08-12]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.24'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Modesto]]
|align="center"|[[1961-05-27]]
|-
|align="center"| '''8.28'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|align="center"|[[1961-07-16]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.31'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Yerevan]]
|align="center"|[[1962-06-10]]
|-
|align="center"| '''8.31'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]
|align="center"|[[1964-08-15]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.34'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Los Angeles]]
|align="center"|[[1964-09-12]]
|-
|align="center"| '''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Modesto]]
|align="center"|[[1965-05-29]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[USA]]
|align="center"|[[1967-10-19]]
|-
|align="center"| '''8.90'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Bob Beamon]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Mexico City]]
|align="center"|[[1968-10-18]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''8.95'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Mike Powell (athletics)|Mike Powell]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Tokyo]]
|align="center"|[[1991-08-30]]
|}
Source: <ref>[http://www.athletix.org/statistics/wrLJmen.html The Athletics Site: world record progression]</ref>

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Ireland in 1901 was still part of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]; however O'Connor considered himself Irish and was competing on this occasion as a member of the Irish Amateur Athletic Association. In the source above he is listed as "GBI/IRL".

===Women===
{| class="prettytable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- bgcolor=#00000
!align="left" style="width: 5em"|MARK!!align="left" style="width: 18em"|ATHLETE!!align="left" style="width: 12em"|VENUE!!style="width: 10em"|DATE
|-
|align="center"| '''5.98'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Kinue Hitomi]]|JPN}}
|align="center"|[[Osaka]]
|align="center"|[[1928-05-20]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.12'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Christel Schultz]]|Germany|Nazi}}
|align="center"|[[Berlin]]
|align="center"|[[1939-07-30]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.25'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Fanny Blankers-Koen|Francina Blankers-Koen]]|NED}}
|align="center"|[[Leiden]]
|align="center"|[[1943-09-19]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.28'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Yvette Williams]]|NZL}}
|align="center"|[[Gisborne]]
|align="center"|[[1954-02-20]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.28'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Galina Vinogradova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|align="center"|[[1955-09-11]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.31'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Vinogradova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Tbilisi]]
|align="center"|[[1955-11-18]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Elzbieta Krzesinska]]|POL}}
|align="center"|[[Budapest]]
|align="center"|[[1956-08-20]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Elzbieta Krzesinska]]|POL}}
|align="center"|[[Melbourne]]
|align="center"|[[1956-11-27]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.40'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Hildrun Claus]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Erfurt]]
|align="center"|[[1960-08-07]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.42'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Hildrun Claus]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Berlin]]
|align="center"|[[1961-06-23]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.48'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatjana Shtshelkanova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|align="center"|[[1961-07-16]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.53'''
|{{flagathlete|Tatjana Shtshelkanova|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Leipzig]]
|align="center"|[[1962-06-10]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.70'''
|{{flagathlete|Tatjana Shtshelkanova|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|align="center"|[[1964-07-04]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.76'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Mary Rand]]|GBR}}
|align="center"|[[Tokyo]]
|align="center"|[[1964-10-14]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.82'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Viorica Viscopoleanu]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Mexico City]]
|align="center"|[[1968-10-14]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.84'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heide Rosendahl]]|FRG}}
|align="center"|[[Torino]]
|align="center"|[[1970-09-03]]
|-
|align="center"| '''6.92'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Angela Voigt]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|align="center"|[[1976-05-09]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''6.99'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Siegrun Siegl]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|align="center"|[[1976-07-26]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.07'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Vilma Bardauskiené]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Kishinyov]]
|align="center"|[[1978-08-18]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.09'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Vilma Bardauskiené]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Prague]]
|align="center"|[[1978-08-29]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.20'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Valy Ionescu]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Bucharest]]
|align="center"|[[1982-08-01]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu|Anişoara Cuşmir]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Bucharest]]
|align="center"|[[1983-05-15]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.43'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu|Anişoara Cuşmir]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Bucharest]]
|align="center"|[[1983-06-04]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.44'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Berlin]]
|align="center"|[[1985-09-22]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Tallinn]]
|align="center"|[[1986-06-21]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|align="center"|[[1986-07-03]]
|-
|align="center"| '''7.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|align="center"|[[1987-08-13]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| '''7.52'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Galina Chistyakova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Leningrad]]
|align="center"|[[1988-06-11]]
|}
 
Source: <ref>[http://www.athletix.org/statistics/wrLJwomen.html The Athletics Site: world record progression]</ref>

==Top Ten Performers==
Accurate as of [[October 4]], [[2008]].
=== Men ===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#efefef
!Mark*!!Wind**!!Athlete!!Nationality!!Venue!!Date
|-
| 8.95 || 0.3 || [[Mike Powell (athlete)|Mike Powell]] || {{USA}} || [[Tokyo]] || [[August 30]], [[1991]]
|-
| 8.90A || 2.0 || [[Bob Beamon]] || {{USA}} || [[Mexico City]] || [[October 18]], [[1968]]
|-
| 8.87 || -0.2 || [[Carl Lewis]] || {{USA}} || [[Tokyo]] || [[August 30]], [[1991]]
|-
| 8.86A || 1.9 || [[Robert Emmiyan]] || {{URS}} || [[Tsakhkadzor]] || [[May 22]], [[1987]]
|-
| 8.74 || 1.4 || [[Larry Myricks]] || {{USA}} || [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]] || [[July 18]], [[1988]]
|-
| 8.74A || 2.0 || [[Erick Walder]] || {{USA}} || [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]] || [[April 2]], [[1994]]
|-
| 8.73 || 1.2 || [[Irving Saladino]]<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/24/sports/EU-SPT-OLY-ATH-FBK-Games-Saladino.php Saladino jumps 8.73 meters for the seventh biggest leap of all time (IHT)]</ref> || {{PAN}} || [[Hengelo]] || [[May 24]], [[2008]]
|-
| 8.71 || 1.9 || [[Iván Pedroso]] || {{CUB}} || [[Salamanca]] || [[July 18]], [[1995]]
|-
| 8.66 || 0.2 || [[Louis Tsatoumas]] || {{GRE}} || [[Kalamata]] || [[June 2]], [[2007]]
|-
| 8.63 || 0.5 || [[Kareem Streete-Thompson]] || {{USA}} || [[Linz]] || [[July 4]], [[1994]]
|}

*(meters), **(metres/second)
A = Altitude (above 1000 metres)

===Women===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=#efefef
!Mark*!!Wind**!!Athlete!!Nationality!!Venue!!Date
|-
| 7.52 || 1.4 || [[Galina Chistyakova]] || {{URS}} || [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] || [[June 11]], [[1988]]
|-
| 7.49 || 1.3 || [[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]] || {{USA}} || [[New York City|New York]] || [[May 22]], [[1994]]
|-
| 7.48 || 1.2 || [[Heike Drechsler]] || {{GDR}} || [[Neubrandenburg]] || [[July 9]], [[1988]]
|-
| 7.43 || 1.4 || [[Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu|Anişoara Cuşmir]] || {{flagcountry|Romania|1965}} || [[Bucharest]] || [[June 4]], [[1983]]
|-
| 7.42 || 2.0 || [[Tatyana Kotova]] || {{RUS}} || [[Annecy]] || [[June 23]], [[2002]]
|-
| 7.39 || 0.5 || [[Yelena Belevskaya]] || {{URS}} || [[Bryansk]] || [[July 18]], [[1987]]
|-
| 7.37 || N/A || [[Inessa Kravets]] || {{UKR}} || [[Kiev]] || [[June 13]], [[1992]]
|-
| 7.33 || 0.4 || [[Tatyana Lebedeva]] || {{RUS}} || [[Tula, Russia|Tula]] || [[July 31]], [[2004]]
|-
| 7.31 || 1.5 || [[Yelena Khlopotnova]] || {{URS}} || [[Almaty|Alma Ata]] || [[September 12]], [[1985]]
|-
| 7.31 || -0.1 || [[Marion Jones]] || {{USA}} || [[Zürich]] || [[August 12]], [[1998]]
|}
*(meters), **(meters/second)

==Best Year Performance==
===Men's Seasons Best (Outdoor)===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
!YEAR!!DISTANCE!!align="left" style="width: 18em"|ATHLETE!!align="left" style="width: 10em"|PLACE
|-
|align="center"|[[1960 in athletics (track and field)|1960]]
|align="center"|'''8.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Walnut]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1961 in athletics (track and field)|1961]]
|align="center"|'''8.28'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1962 in athletics (track and field)|1962]]
|align="center"|'''8.31'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Yerevan]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1963 in athletics (track and field)|1963]]
|align="center"|'''8.20'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Modesto]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1964 in athletics (track and field)|1964]]
|align="center"|'''8.34'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Los Angeles]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1965 in athletics (track and field)|1969]]
|align="center"|'''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Ralph Boston]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Modesto]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1966 in athletics (track and field)|1966]]
|align="center"|'''8.23'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Leselidze]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1967 in athletics (track and field)|1967]]
|align="center"|'''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Mexico City]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1968 in athletics (track and field)|1968]]
|align="center"|'''8.90'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Bob Beamon]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Mexico City]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1969 in athletics (track and field)|1969]]
|align="center"|'''8.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Ter-Ovanesyan]]|URS}}{{flagathlete|[[Waldemar Stepian]]|POL}}
|align="center"|[[Odessa]][[Chorzów]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1970 in athletics (track and field)|1970]]
|align="center"|'''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Josef Schwarz]]|FRG}}
|align="center"|[[Stuttgart]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1971 in athletics (track and field)|1971]]
|align="center"|'''8.23'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Norman Tate]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[El Paso]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1972 in athletics (track and field)|1972]]
|align="center"|'''8.34'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Randy Williams]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Munich]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1973 in athletics (track and field)|1973]]
|align="center"|'''8.24'''
|{{flagathlete|[[James McAlister]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Westwood]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1974 in athletics (track and field)|1974]]
|align="center"|'''8.30'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Arnie Robinson]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Modesto]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1975 in athletics (track and field)|1975]]
|align="center"|'''8.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Nenad Stekić]]|YUG}}
|align="center"|[[Montreal]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1976 in athletics (track and field)|1976]]
|align="center"|'''8.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Arnie Robinson]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Montreal]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1977 in athletics (track and field)|1977]]
|align="center"|'''8.27'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Nenad Stekić]]|YUG}}
|align="center"|[[Nova Gorica]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1978 in athletics (track and field)|1978]]
|align="center"|'''8.32'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Nenad Stekić]]|YUG}}
|align="center"|[[Rovereto]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1979 in athletics (track and field)|1979]]
|align="center"|'''8.52'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Larry Myricks]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Montreal]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1980 in athletics (track and field)|1980]]
|align="center"|'''8.54'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Lutz Dombrowski]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1981 in athletics (track and field)|1981]]
|align="center"|'''8.62'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Sacramento]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1982 in athletics (track and field)|1982]]
|align="center"|'''8.76'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Indianapolis]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1983 in athletics (track and field)|1983]]
|align="center"|'''8.79'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Indianapolis]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1984 in athletics (track and field)|1984]]
|align="center"|'''8.71'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Westwood]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1985 in athletics (track and field)|1985]]
|align="center"|'''8.62'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Brussels]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1986 in athletics (track and field)|1986]]
|align="center"|'''8.61'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Robert Emmiyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1987 in athletics (track and field)|1987]]
|align="center"|'''8.86'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Robert Emmiyan]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Tsakhkadzor]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1988 in athletics (track and field)|1988]]
|align="center"|'''8.76'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Indianapolis]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1989 in athletics (track and field)|1989]]
|align="center"|'''8.70'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Larry Myricks]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Houston]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1990 in athletics (track and field)|1990]]
|align="center"|'''8.66'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Mike Powell (athletics)|Mike Powell]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Villeneuve d'Ascq]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1991 in athletics (track and field)|1991]]
|align="center"|'''8.95'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Mike Powell (athletics)|Mike Powell]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Tokyo]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1992 in athletics (track and field)|1992]]
|align="center"|'''8.68'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Carl Lewis]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Barcelona]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1993 in athletics (track and field)|1993]]
|align="center"|'''8.70'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Mike Powell (athletics)|Mike Powell]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Salamanca]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1994 in athletics (track and field)|1994]]
|align="center"|'''8.74'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Erick Walder]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[El Paso]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1995 in athletics (track and field)|1995]]
|align="center"|'''8.71'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Iván Pedroso]]|CUB}}
|align="center"|[[Salamanca]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1996 in athletics (track and field)|1996]]
|align="center"|'''8.58'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Erick Walder]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Springfield]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1997 in athletics (track and field)|1997]]
|align="center"|'''8.63'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Iván Pedroso]]|CUB}}
|align="center"|[[Padua]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1998 in athletics (track and field)|1998]]
|align="center"|'''8.60'''
|{{flagathlete|[[James Beckford]]|JAM}}
|align="center"|[[Bad Langensalza]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1999 in athletics (track and field)|1999]]
|align="center"|'''8.60'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Iván Pedroso]]|CUB}}
|align="center"|[[Padua]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2000 in athletics (track and field)|2000]]
|align="center"|'''8.65'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Iván Pedroso]]|CUB}}
|align="center"|[[Jena]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2001 in athletics (track and field)|2001]]
|align="center"|'''8.41'''
|{{flagathlete|[[James Beckford]]|JAM}}
|align="center"|[[Turin]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2002 in athletics (track and field)|2002]]
|align="center"|'''8.52'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Savanté Stringfellow]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Palo Alto]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2003 in athletics (track and field)|2003]]
|align="center"|'''8.53'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Yago Lamela]]|ESP}}
|align="center"|[[Castellón de la Plana]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2004 in athletics (track and field)|2004]]
|align="center"|'''8.60'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Dwight Phillips]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Linz]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2005 in athletics (track and field)|2005]]
|align="center"|'''8.60'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Dwight Phillips]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Helsinki]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2006 in athletics (track and field)|2006]]
|align="center"|'''8.56'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Irving Saladino]]|PAN}}
|align="center"|[[Rio de Janeiro]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2007 in athletics (track and field)|2007]]
|align="center"|'''8.66'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Louis Tsatoumas]]|GRE}}
|align="center"|[[Kalamáta]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2008 in athletics (track and field)|2008*]]
|align="center"|'''8.73'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Irving Saladino]]|PAN}}
|align="center"|[[Hengelo]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|}
*''*ongoing season''

===Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
!YEAR!!DISTANCE!!align="left" style="width: 18em"|ATHLETE!!align="left" style="width: 10em"|PLACE
|-
|align="center"|[[1976 in athletics (track and field)|1976]]
|align="center"|'''6.99'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Siegrun Siegl]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1978 in athletics (track and field)|1978]]
|align="center"|'''7.09'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Vilma Bardauskiené]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Prague]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1979 in athletics (track and field)|1979]]
|align="center"|'''6.90'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Brigitte Wujak]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Potsdam]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1980 in athletics (track and field)|1980]]
|align="center"|'''7.06'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatyana Kolpakova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Moscow]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1981 in athletics (track and field)|1981]]
|align="center"|'''6.96'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jodi Anderson]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Colorado Springs]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1982 in athletics (track and field)|1982]]
|align="center"|'''7.20'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Valy Ionescu]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Bucharest]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1983 in athletics (track and field)|1983]]
|align="center"|'''7.43'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu|Anişoara Cuşmir]]|ROU|1965}}
|align="center"|[[Bucharest]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1984 in athletics (track and field)|1984]]
|align="center"|'''7.40'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Dresden]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1985 in athletics (track and field)|1985]]
|align="center"|'''7.44'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Berlin]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1986 in athletics (track and field)|1986]]
|align="center"|'''7.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GDR}}
|align="center"|[[Tallinn]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1987 in athletics (track and field)|1987]]
|align="center"|'''7.45'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Indianapolis]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1988 in athletics (track and field)|1988]]
|align="center"|'''7.52'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Galina Chistyakova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Leningrad]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1989 in athletics (track and field)|1989]]
|align="center"|'''7.24'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Galina Chistyakova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Volgograd]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1990 in athletics (track and field)|1990]]
|align="center"|'''7.35'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Galina Chistyakova]]|URS}}
|align="center"|[[Bratislava]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1991 in athletics (track and field)|1991]]
|align="center"|'''7.37'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GER}}
|align="center"|[[Sestriere]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1992 in athletics (track and field)|1992]]
|align="center"|'''7.48'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GER}}
|align="center"|[[Lausanne]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1993 in athletics (track and field)|1993]]
|align="center"|'''7.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GER}}
|align="center"|[[Zürich]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1994 in athletics (track and field)|1994]]
|align="center"|'''7.49'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[New York City]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1995 in athletics (track and field)|1995]]
|align="center"|'''7.07'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Heike Drechsler]]|GER}}
|align="center"|[[Linz]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1996 in athletics (track and field)|1996]]
|align="center"|'''7.20'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Atlanta]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1997 in athletics (track and field)|1997]]
|align="center"|'''7.05'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Lyudmila Galkina]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Athens]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[1998 in athletics (track and field)|1998]]
|align="center"|'''7.31'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Marion Jones]]|USA}}
|align="center"|[[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]]
|-
|align="center"|[[1999 in athletics (track and field)|1999]]
|align="center"|'''7.26'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Maurren Maggi|Maurren Higa Maggi]]|BRA}}
|align="center"|[[Bogotá]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2000 in athletics (track and field)|2000]]
|align="center"|'''7.09'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Fiona May]]|ITA}}
|align="center"|[[Rio de Janeiro]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2001 in athletics (track and field)|2001]]
|align="center"|'''7.12'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatyana Kotova]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Turin]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2002 in athletics (track and field)|2002]]
|align="center"|'''7.42'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatyana Kotova]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Annecy]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2003 in athletics (track and field)|2003]]
|align="center"|'''7.06'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Maurren Maggi|Maurren Higa Maggi]]|BRA}}
|align="center"|[[Milan]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2004 in athletics (track and field)|2004]]
|align="center"|'''7.33'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatyana Lebedeva]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Tula]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2005 in athletics (track and field)|2005]]
|align="center"|'''7.04'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Irina Simagina]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Sochi]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2006 in athletics (track and field)|2006]]
|align="center"|'''7.12'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Tatyana Kotova]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Novosibirsk]]
|-
|align="center"|[[2007 in athletics (track and field)|2007]]
|align="center"|'''7.21'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Lyudmila Kolchanova]]|RUS}}
|align="center"|[[Sochi]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"|[[2008 in sports|2008*]]
|align="center"|'''7.12'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Naide Gomes]]|POR}}
|align="center"|[[Monaco]]
|}
*''*ongoing season''

==National records==
* As of [[2008-06-12]]
===Men===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|- bgcolor=#00000
!align="left" style="width: 8em"|NATION!!align="left" style="width: 5em"|DISTANCE!!align="left" style="width: 13em"|ATHLETE!!align="left" style="width: 12em"|VENUE!!style="width: 10em"|DATE
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|USA}} ||align="center"| '''8.95 m''' || [[Mike Powell (athlete)|Mike Powell]] || [[Tokyo]] || [[1991-08-30]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|ARM}} ||align="center"| '''8.86 m''' || [[Robert Emmiyan]] || [[Tsakhkadzor]] || [[1987-05-22]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|PAN}} ||align="center"| '''8.73 m''' || [[Irving Saladino]] || [[Hengelo]] || [[2008-05-24]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|CUB}} ||align="center"| '''8.71 m''' || [[Iván Pedroso]] || [[Salamanca]] || [[1995-07-18]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|GRE}} ||align="center"| '''8.66 m''' || [[Louis Tsatoumas]] || [[Kalamata]] || [[2007-06-02]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|JAM}} ||align="center"| '''8.62 m''' || [[James Beckford]] || [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] || [[1997-04-05]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|ESP}} ||align="center"| '''8.56 m''' || [[Yago Lamela]] || [[Turin]] || [[1999-06-24]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|GER}} ||align="center"| '''8.54 m''' || [[Lutz Dombrowski]] || [[Moscow]] || [[1980-07-28]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|AUS}} ||align="center"| '''8.49 m''' || [[Jai Taurima]] || [[Sydney]] || [[2000-09-28]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|KSA}} ||align="center"| '''8.48 m''' || [[Mohamed Salman Al-Khuwalidi]] || [[Sotteville]] || [[2006-07-02]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|ITA}} ||align="center"| '''8.47 m''' || [[Andrew Howe]] || [[Osaka]] || [[2007-08-30]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|RUS}} ||align="center"| '''8.46 m''' || [[Leonid Voloshin]] || [[Tallinn]] || [[1988-07-05]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|SEN}} ||align="center"| '''8.46 m''' || [[Cheikh Tidiane Touré]] || [[Bad Langensalza]] || [[1997-06-15]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|YUG}} ||align="center"| '''8.45 m''' || [[Nenad Stekić]] || [[Montreal]] || [[1975-07-25]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|GHA}} ||align="center"| '''8.43 m''' || [[Ignisious Gaisah]] || [[Rome]] || [[2006-07-14]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|BAH}} ||align="center"| '''8.41 m''' || [[Craig Hepburn]] || [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] || [[1993-06-17]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|CHN}} ||align="center"| '''8.40 m''' || [[Lao Jianfeng]] || [[Zhaoqing]] || [[1997-05-28]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|SLO}} ||align="center"| '''8.40 m''' || [[Gregor Cankar]] || [[Celje]] || [[1997-05-18]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|BRA}} ||align="center"| '''8.40 m''' || [[Douglas de Souza]] || [[Sao Paulo]] || [[1995-02-15]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|RSA}} ||align="center"| '''8.39 m''' || [[Godfrey Mokoena]] || [[Lapinlahti]] || [[2006-07-16]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|ROU}} ||align="center"| '''8.37 m''' || [[Bogdan Tudor]] || [[Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt]] || [[1995-07-09]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|POR}} ||align="center"| '''8.36 m''' || [[Carlos Calado]] || [[Lisboa]] || [[1997-06-20]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|UKR}} ||align="center"| '''8.35 m''' || [[Sergey Layevskiy]][[Roman Shchurenko]] || [[Dnepropetrovsk]][[Kiev]] || [[1988-07-16]][[2000-07-25]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|TWN}} ||align="center"| '''8.34 m''' || [[Nai Huei-Fang]] || [[Shanghai]] || [[1993-05-14]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|MAR}} ||align="center"| '''8.34 m''' || [[Younes Moudrik]] || [[Algiers]] || [[2000-07-13]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|VEN}} ||align="center"| '''8.34 m''' || [[Victor Castillo]] || [[Cochabamba]] || [[2004-05-30]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|BUL}} ||align="center"| '''8.33 m''' || [[Ivaylo Mladenov]] || [[Seville]] || [[1995-06-03]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|BLR}} ||align="center"| '''8.33 m''' || [[Aleksandr Glovatskiy]] || [[Sestriere]] || [[1996-08-07]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|EGY}} ||align="center"| '''8.31 m''' || [[Hassine Hatem Moursal]] || [[Oslo]] || [[1999-06-30]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|FRA}} ||align="center"| '''8.30 m''' || [[Kader Klouchi]] || [[Dijon]] || [[1998-07-05]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|AUT}} ||align="center"| '''8.30 m''' || [[Andreas Steiner]] || [[Innsbruck]] || [[1988-06-04]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|HUN}} ||align="center"| '''8.30 m''' || [[László Szalma]] || [[Budapest]] || [[1985-07-07]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|ZIM}} ||align="center"| '''8.30 m''' || [[Ngonidzashe Makusha]] || [[Des Moines]] || [[2008-06-12]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|GBR}} ||align="center"| '''8.29 m''' || [[Chris Tomlinson]] || [[Bad Langensalza]] || [[2007-07-07]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|CZE}} ||align="center"| '''8.25 m''' || [[Milan Mikuláš]] || [[Prague]] || [[1988-07-16]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|CRO}} ||align="center"| '''8.23 m''' || [[Siniša Ergotić]] || [[Zagreb]] || [[2002-06-05]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|SWE}} ||align="center"| '''8.21 m''' || [[Mattias Sunneborn]] || [[Malmö]] || [[1996-06-27]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|EST}} ||align="center"| '''8.10 m''' || [[Erki Nool]] || [[Götzis]] || [[1995-05-27]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|align="center"| {{flag|TUR}} ||align="center"| '''8.08 m'''<ref>[http://www.taf.org.tr/Web/Rekorlar.aspx Website of Turkish Athleticism Federation]</ref> || [[Mesut Yavaş]] || [[İstanbul]] || [[2000-06-24]]
|-
|align="center"| {{flag|ISR}} ||align="center"| '''7.96 m'''<ref>[http://www.iaa.co.il/index.php?uri=/top_50_of_all_times/display/57 Website of Israeli Athletic Asociation]</ref> || [[Rogel Nachum]] || [[Budapest]] || [[1990-06-18]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.iaaf.org/ International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)] – official site
*[http://www.athletix.org/statistics/stats.html World Record progression in athletics]
*[http://www.world-masters-athletics.org/ World Masters Athletics] - official site
*[http://www.mastersathletics.net Masters T&F World Rankings]
*[http://www.alltime-athletics.com Athletics all-time performances]
*[http://www.athletix.org/statistics/natrljmen.html Athletix]
*[http://youtube.com/watch?v=FYZcVN-R3pg (video) Beamon vs Lewis jump analysis]
*[http://youtube.com/watch?v=4C8qG50w_rw (video) Powell vs Lewis Tokyo 91]

==See also==
{{Commonscat|Long jump}}
* {{cite book
| last = Guthrie
| first = Mark
| title = Coach Track & Field Successfully
| publisher = Human Kinetics
| date= 2003
| location = Champaign, IL
| pages = 149-155
| id = ISBN 0-7360-4274-1 }}
* {{cite book
| last = Rogers
| first = Joseph L.
| title = USA Track & Field Coaching Manual
| publisher = Human Kinetics
| date= 2000
| location = Champaign, IL
| pages = 141-157
| id = ISBN 0-88011-604-8 }}
* {{cite video
| people = Ernie Gregoire, Larry Myricks
| title = World Class Track & Field Series: Long Jump
| medium = VHS
| publisher = Championship Books & Video Productions
| location = Ames, IA
| date= 1991 }}

{{Track events}}

[[Category:Events in athletics]]


[[ar:قفز طويل]]
[[bs:Skok u dalj]]
[[ca:Salt de llargada]]
[[cs:Skok daleký]]
[[cy:Naid hir]]
[[da:Længdespring]]
[[de:Weitsprung]]
[[et:Kaugushüpe]]
[[el:Άλμα εις μήκος]]
[[es:Salto de longitud]]
[[fr:Saut en longueur]]
[[gl:Salto de lonxitude]]
[[hr:Skok u dalj]]
[[is:Langstökk]]
[[it:Salto in lungo]]
[[he:קפיצה לרוחק]]
[[ht:So an longè]]
[[ms:Lompat jauh]]
[[nl:Verspringen]]
[[ja:走幅跳]]
[[no:Lengdehopp]]
[[pl:Skok w dal]]
[[pt:Salto em comprimento]]
[[ro:Săritura în lungime]]
[[ru:Прыжок в длину]]
[[simple:Long jump]]
[[sr:Скок удаљ]]
[[sh:Skok u dalj]]
[[fi:Pituushyppy]]
[[sv:Längdhopp]]
[[ta:நீளம் தாண்டுதல்]]
[[vi:Nhảy xa]]
[[tr:Uzun atlama]]
[[zh:跳遠]]

Talk:Oriental magpie

2008-08-19T03:38:52Z

76.202.197.92: /* Gene Flow */

{{BirdTalk|class=Start|importance=Low}}

I was told by a few Korean friends that hearing a magpie in the morning means someone you lost from your life will be returning that day. After 3 years in Korea I have heard this bird almost every morning but it has not brought anyone back into my life.

== Magpie instead of chicken ==

I'm rather dubious about the claim that chicken-on-a-stick are actually magpies, since chicken is not so rare and it's probably more work than it's worth to secretly use magpie meat instead. Perhaps in the past, but the rumors I've heard was they were pigeon meat, and I'm skeptical of them, too. Are there any reliable sources which can back up this claim being true in the past or the present? [[User:YooChung|YooChung]] 14:47, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I am also dubious, because I tried to cook and eat an American magpie when I was a child ... the meat is dark, strong-tasting and extremely tough. There is also very little edible meat on the bird. After you get the feathers off, it's a very scrawny bird. —Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/162.42.126.18|162.42.126.18]] ([[User talk:162.42.126.18|talk]]) 17:36, 9 January 2008 (UTC) 

There is no evidence of the claim that the chicken-on-a-sticks in street are magpies in Korea. There are also many rumors that the sources of the meat are the domestic doves, the tree sprarrows and/or some buntings. However, in most cases, the meats used in chicken-on-a-sticks are not products of Korea, but are imported from China as ready-made goods; the meat is definitely a chicken, of course, due to a unit cost. Although the magpie and the other birds above are common both in Korea and China, a unit cost of production will be much more increased otherwise manufacturers use cheap and easily-available chickens in large quantities. Recently, because of safty and quaratine issues, the Korean custom temporary stopped inspecting chicken-on-a-sticks imported from China and most provisionors in Korea suffer from a shortage in stock. [[User:subbuteo95|subbuteo95]] ([[User talk:subbuteo95|talk]]) 22:31, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

== Gene Flow ==

Article says: "the best explanation is that some limited gene flow still occurred until the onset of the last period of ice ages some 2.5-2 mya."

How exactly can "gene flow" keep two mtDNA groups linked?

It could produce a mixed population, with some individuals having the isolated (Korean) mtDNA and others a migrant mtDNA, but as mtDNA is (supposed to be) only maternally-inherited, the two mtDNA types could not "influence" each other after the initial maternal ancestor split.

Perhaps this is referring to nuclear DNA -- but the article previously only mentions an mtDNA testing of Magpies.

Talk:Oriental magpie

2008-08-19T03:35:39Z

76.202.197.92: /* Gene Flow */ new section

{{BirdTalk|class=Start|importance=Low}}

I was told by a few Korean friends that hearing a magpie in the morning means someone you lost from your life will be returning that day. After 3 years in Korea I have heard this bird almost every morning but it has not brought anyone back into my life.

== Magpie instead of chicken ==

I'm rather dubious about the claim that chicken-on-a-stick are actually magpies, since chicken is not so rare and it's probably more work than it's worth to secretly use magpie meat instead. Perhaps in the past, but the rumors I've heard was they were pigeon meat, and I'm skeptical of them, too. Are there any reliable sources which can back up this claim being true in the past or the present? [[User:YooChung|YooChung]] 14:47, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I am also dubious, because I tried to cook and eat an American magpie when I was a child ... the meat is dark, strong-tasting and extremely tough. There is also very little edible meat on the bird. After you get the feathers off, it's a very scrawny bird. —Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/162.42.126.18|162.42.126.18]] ([[User talk:162.42.126.18|talk]]) 17:36, 9 January 2008 (UTC) 

There is no evidence of the claim that the chicken-on-a-sticks in street are magpies in Korea. There are also many rumors that the sources of the meat are the domestic doves, the tree sprarrows and/or some buntings. However, in most cases, the meats used in chicken-on-a-sticks are not products of Korea, but are imported from China as ready-made goods; the meat is definitely a chicken, of course, due to a unit cost. Although the magpie and the other birds above are common both in Korea and China, a unit cost of production will be much more increased otherwise manufacturers use cheap and easily-available chickens in large quantities. Recently, because of safty and quaratine issues, the Korean custom temporary stopped inspecting chicken-on-a-sticks imported from China and most provisionors in Korea suffer from a shortage in stock. [[User:subbuteo95|subbuteo95]] ([[User talk:subbuteo95|talk]]) 22:31, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

== Gene Flow ==

How exactly can "gene flow" keep two mtDNA groups linked?

It could produce a mixed population, with some individuals having the isolated (Korean) mtDNA and others a migrant mtDNA, but as mtDNA is (supposed to be) only maternally-inherited, the two mtDNA types could not "influence" each other after the initial maternal ancestor split.

Corvidae

2008-08-19T03:20:39Z

76.202.197.92: /* Intelligence */ NPOV on systematics

{{Taxobox
| name = Corvidae
| fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]] to Recent
| image = Cyanocitta-cristata-004.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = [[Blue Jay]] ''Cyanocitta cristata''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neoaves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| subordo = [[Passeri]]
| infraordo = [[Corvida]]
| superfamilia = [[Corvoidea]]
| familia = '''Corvidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision = see text
| range_map = Corvidae.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| range_map_caption =
Distribution map of the Corvidae.
<div style="text-align:left;"><big>{{Legend2|#00BE30|Native|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#F3F300|Introduced|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#0800E7|Extinct|border=1px solid #aaa}}</big></div>
}}

'''Corvidae''' is a [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] [[family (biology)|family]] of [[oscine]] [[passerine]] [[bird]]s that contains the [[crow]]s, [[raven]]s, [[rook (bird)|rook]]s, [[jackdaw]]s, [[jay]]s, [[magpie]]s, [[treepie]]s, [[Pyrrhocorax|choughs]] and [[nutcracker (bird)|nutcrackers]].<ref name=madge>Madge & Burn (1993)</ref><ref>Robertson (2000), Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The common English name used is '''corvids''' (more technically) or the '''crow family''' (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus ''Corvus'', including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family.

They are considered the most intelligent of the birds[http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0060202][http://news.yahoo.com/story//nm/20080819/sc_nm/magpies_mirror_dc] having demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests ([[European Magpie]]s) and tool making ability ([[Crows]]) — skills until recently regarded as solely the province of humans and a few other higher mammals. They are medium to large in size, with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single [[moult]] each year (most passerines moult twice).

Corvids are found worldwide except for the tip of [[South America]] and the polar ice caps.<ref name = claytonemery2005>Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The majority of the species are found in tropical South and [[Central America]], southern [[Asia]] and [[Eurasia]], with fewer than 10 species each in [[Africa]], [[Australasia]] and [[North America]]. The genus ''Corvus'' has re-entered [[Australia]] in relatively recent geological prehistory, with five species and one subspecies there (see [[crow]]s).

== Systematics, taxonomy and evolution ==
[[Image:Rufous Treepie I IMG 9850.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rufous Treepie]], ''Dendrocitta vagabunda'']]
[[Image:Yellow-billed Blue Magpie I IMG 7393.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris'']]
[[Image:Orvani (1).JPG|thumb|right|[[Eurasian Jay]] (''Garrulus glandarius''), Israel]]
[[Image:Elster wikipedia2.jpg|thumb|right|[[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica'']]
[[Image:Plush-crested Jay.jpg|thumb|right|[[Plush-crested Jay]], ''Cyanocorax chrysops'']]

Over the years there has been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid family and their relatives. What eventually seemed clear was that corvids are derived from [[Australasia]]n ancestors and from there spread throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. [[Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy|Sibley and Ahlquist]] united the corvids with other taxa in the [[Corvida]]. The presumed corvid relatives included [[currawong]]s, [[birds of paradise]], [[whipbird]]s, [[quail-thrush]]es, [[Pachycephalidae|whistlers]], [[monarch flycatcher]]s and [[drongo]]s, [[shrike]]s, [[vireo]]s and [[vanga]]s,<ref name = robertson2000>Robertson (2000)</ref> but current research favors the theory that this grouping is partly artificial. The corvids constitute the core group of the [[Corvoidea]], together with their closest relatives (the birds of paradise, [[Australian mud-nesters]] and shrikes). They are also the core group of the Corvida, which includes the related groups, such as [[oriole]]s and vireos.<ref name = j&f2006>Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref>

Clarification of the interrelationships of the corvids has been achieved based on [[cladistic]] analysis of several [[DNA sequence]]s.<ref>Ericson ''et al''. (2005), Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref> The jays and magpies do not constitute [[monophyletic]] lineages, but rather seem to split up into an [[Americas|American]] and [[Old World]] lineage, and an [[Holarctic]] and Oriental lineage, respectively. These are not closely related among each other. The position of the [[Azure-winged Magpie]], which has always been a major enigma, is even more unclear than it was before.

* '''Choughs'''
** ''[[Pyrrhocorax]]'' (2 species)
* '''[[Treepie]]s'''
** ''[[Dendrocitta]]'' (7 species)
** ''[[Crypsirina]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Temnurus]]'' - Ratchet-tailed Treepie
** ''[[Platysmurus]]'' - Black Magpie
* '''Oriental [[magpie]]s'''
** ''[[Urocissa]]'' (5 species)
** ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]'' (3 species)
* '''Old World [[jays]] and [[ground jay]]s'''
** ''[[Garrulus]]'' (3 species)
** ''[[Podoces]]'' (4 species)
** ''[[Ptilostomus]]'' - Piapiac
* '''[[Stresemann's Bush Crow]]''', ''Zavattariornis stresemanni''
* '''Nutcrackers'''
** ''[[Nucifraga]]'' (2 species)
* '''Holarctic magpies'''
** ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]'' (3-4 species)
* '''The True Crows ([[Crow (animal)|Crows]], [[Raven|ravens]] and [[Jackdaw|jackdaws]])'''
** ''[[Corvus (biology)|Corvus]]'' (some 43-45 species, 1 possibly recently [[extinct]], 1 [[extinct in the wild]])
* '''[[Azure-winged Magpie]]''', ''Cyanopica cyana'' (possibly 2 species)
* '''Grey jays'''
** ''[[Perisoreus]]'' (3 species)
* '''New World jays'''
** ''[[Aphelocoma]]'' - scrub-jays (5-6 species)
** ''[[Calocitta]]'' - magpie-jays (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocitta]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocorax]]'' (17-18 species)
** ''[[Cyanolyca]]'' (9 species, tentatively placed here)
** ''[[Gymnorhinus]]'' - Pinyon Jay

The [[Crested Jay]] (''Platylophus galericulatus'') is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but might not be a true member of this family, possibly being closer to the [[Prionops|helmet-shrikes]] ([[Malaconotidae]]) or [[shrike]]s ([[Laniidae]]); it is best considered [[Corvoidea]] ''[[incertae sedis]]'' for the time being.<ref name=madge/><ref name=goodwin>Goodwin (1986)</ref> Likewise, the [[Hume's Ground Tit|Hume's Ground "Jay"]] (''Pseudopodoces humilis'') is in fact a member of the tit family [[tit (bird)|Paridae]].<ref>James ''et al''. (2005)</ref>

===Fossil record===
The earliest corvid [[fossil]]s date to the mid-[[Miocene]], about 17 million years ago; ''[[Miocorvus]]'' and ''[[Miopica]]'' may be ancestral to crows and some of the magpie lineage, respectively, or similar to the living forms due to [[convergent evolution]]. The known prehistoric corvid genera appear to be mainly of the New World and Old World jay and Holarctic magpie lineages:

* ''[[Miocorvus]]'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France)
* ''[[Miopica]]'' (Middle Miocene of SW Ukraine)
* ''[[Miocitta]]'' (Pawnee Creek Late Miocene of Logan County, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Edson Early Pliocene of Sherman County, USA)<ref>[[Proximal]] right [[coracoid]] of a jay-sized bird, perhaps an Holarctic magpie distinct from ''Pica'': Wetmore (1937)</ref>
* ''[[Protocitta]]'' (Early Pleistocene of Reddick, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Early/Middle Pleistocene of Sicily) - probably belongs into extant genus
* ''[[Henocitta]]'' (Arredondo Clay Middle Pleistocene of Williston, USA)

In addition, there are numerous fossil species of extant genera since the [[Miocene|Mio]]-[[Pliocene]], mainly European ''Corvus''.<ref>See the genus accounts for more.</ref>

==Biology ==
===Morphology===
Corvids are large to very large [[passerine]]s with a robust build, strong legs and all species except the [[Pinyon Jay]] have [[nostril]]s covered by bristle-like feathers.<ref name = Perrins>Perrins 2003</ref> Many corvids of temperate zones have mainly black or blue coloured [[plumage]]; however, some are pied black and white, some have a blue-purple iridescence and many tropical species are brightly coloured. The sexes are very similar in color and size. Corvids have strong, stout bills and large wingspans. The family includes the largest members of the [[passerine]] order.

The smallest corvid is the [[Dwarf Jay]] (''Aphelocoma nana''), at 40 g (1.4 oz) and 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). The largest corvids are the [[Common Raven]] (''Corvus corax'') and the [[Thick-billed Raven]] (''Corvus crassirostris''), both of which regularly exceed 1400 grams (3 lbs) and 65 cm (26 inches).

Species can be identified based on size, shape, and geography; however, some, especially the Australian crows, are best identified by their raucous calls.<ref name = robertson2000 />

===Ecology===
Corvids occur in most climatic zones. Most are sedentary and do not [[bird migration|migrate]] significantly. However, during a shortage of food, eruptive migration can occur.<ref name = robertson2000 /> When species are migratory, they will form large flocks in the fall (around August in the [[northern hemisphere]]) and travel south.<ref name = shadesfonight />

One reason for the success of crows, compared to ravens, is their ability to overlap breeding territory. During breeding season, crows were shown to overlap breeding territory six times as much as ravens. This invasion of breeding ranges allowed a related increase in local population density.<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Food and feeding===
[[Image:Raven scavenging on a dead shark.jpg|thumb|right|Corvids are highly opportunistic foragers. Here a [[Jungle Crow]] feeds on a shark carcass.]]
The natural diet of many corvid species is omnivorous, consisting of [[invertebrate]]s, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and [[carrion]]. However, some corvids, especially the crows, have adapted well to human conditions and have come to rely on anthropogenic foods. In a US study of [[American Crow]]s, [[Common Raven]]s and [[Steller's Jay]]s around campgrounds and human settlements, the crows appeared to have the most diverse diet of all, taking anthropogenic foods such as bread, spaghetti, fried potatoes, dog food, sandwiches, and livestock feed. The increase in available anthropogenic food sources is contributing to population increase in some corvid species.<ref name = m&n2006>Marzluff & Neatherlin (2006)</ref>.

Some corvids are predators of other birds. During the wintering months, corvids typically form foraging flocks.<ref name = robertson2000 /> However, some crows also eat many agricultural pests including cutworms, wireworms, grasshoppers, and harmful weeds<ref name = shadesfonight>Shades of Night: [http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/ The Aviary]. Version of 2004-JUL-21. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> Some corvids will eat carrion, and since they lack a specialized beak for tearing into flesh, they must wait until animals are opened, whether by other predators or as roadkill.

Since crows do not seem to mind human development, it was suggested that the crow population increase would cause increased rates of nest predation. However, Steller's Jays, which are successful independently of human development, are more efficient in plundering small birds' nests than [[American Crow]]s and [[Common Raven]]s. Therefore, the human relationship with crows and ravens did not significantly increase nest predation, compared to other factors such as [[habitat destruction]].<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Reproduction===
[[Image:Perisoreus canadensis feeding at nest.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Gray Jay]] pair feeding their chicks. ]]
Many species of corvid are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], protecting territories throughout the year or simply during the breeding season. In some cases territories may only be guarded during the day, with the pair joining off-territory roosts at night. Some corvids are well known communal roosters. Some groups of roosting corvids can be very large, with a roost of 65,000 [[Rook (bird)|Rooks]] counted in Scotland.<ref>Patterson ''et al''. (1971)</ref> Some, including the Rook and the [[Jackdaw]], are also communal nesters.

The partner bond in corvids is extremely strong and even lifelong in some species. This monogamous lifestyle, however, can still contain extra-pair copulations.<ref>Li & Brown (2000)</ref> Males and females build large nests together in trees or on ledges. The male will also feed the female during incubation.<ref>[[Encyclopedia Britannica Online]]: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026450 Corvidae]. Free subscription required.</ref> The nests are constructed of a mass of bulky twigs lined with grass and bark. Corvids can lay between 3 and 10 eggs, typically ranging between 4 and 7. The eggs are usually greenish in colour with brown blotches. Once hatched, the young remain in the nests for up to 6-10 weeks depending on the species. Corvids provide biparental care.

Jackdaws can breed in buildings or in rabbit warrens.<ref name = v&s2004>Verhulst & Salomons (2004)</ref> [[White-throated Magpie-jay]]s are cooperatively breeding corvids where the helpers are mostly female. [[Cooperative breeding]] takes place when additional adults help raise the nestlings. Such [[helpers at the nest]] in most cooperatively breeding birds are males, while females join other groups.<ref>Berg (2005)</ref>

===Social life ===
Some corvids have strong organization and community groups. Jackdaws, for example, have a strong social hierarchy, and are facultatively colonial during breeding.<ref name = v&s2004/> Providing mutual aid has also been recorded within many of the corvid species.

Young corvids have been known to play and take part in elaborate social [[game]]s. Documented group games follow a "king of the mountain"- and "follow the leader"-type pattern. Other [[Play (activity)|play]] involves the manipulation, passing, and balancing of sticks. Corvids also take part in other activities, such as sliding down smooth surfaces. These games are understood to play a large role in the adaptive and survival ability of the birds.<ref>Gill (2003)</ref>

Mate selection is quite complex and accompanied with much social play in the Corvidae. Youngsters of social corvid species undergo a series of tests, including aerobatic feats, before being accepted as a mate by the opposite sex.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Some corvids can be aggressive. [[Blue Jay]]s, for example, are well known to attack anything that threatens their nest. Crows have been known to attack dogs, cats, ravens, and birds of prey. Most of the time these assaults take place as a distraction long enough to allow an opportunity for stealing food.<ref name = shadesfonight />

===Intelligence ===
{{seealso|Avian intelligence}}
Based on the brain-to-body ratio of animals over 1 kilogram, corvid brains are among the largest in birds, equal to that of [[great ape]]s and [[cetacean]]s, and only slightly lower than a human.<ref>Birding in India and South Asia: [http://www.birding.in/birds/Passeriformes/corvidae.htm Corvidae]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10</ref> Their intelligence is boosted by the long growing period of the young. By remaining with the parents, the young have more opportunities to learn necessary skills. Since most corvids are cooperative brooders, their young can learn from different members of the group.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

When compared to dogs and cats in an experiment testing the ability to seek out food according to three-dimensional clues, corvids out-performed the mammals.<ref>Krushinskii ''et al''. (1979)</ref> A [[metaanalysis]] testing how often birds invented new ways to acquire food in the wild found corvids the most innovative birds.<ref>[[BBC Online]]: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4286965.stm Crows and jays top bird IQ scale]. Version of 2005-FEB-25- Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> A 2004 review suggests that their cognitive abilities are on par with those of great apes.<ref>Emery & Clayton 2004)</ref> Despite structural differences, the brains of corvids and great apes both evolved the ability to make geometrical measurements. Some corvids demonstrate the capacity for imagination, something believed to be otherwise unique to humans. For example, they remember previous relevant social contexts, use their own experience of having been a thief to predict the behavior of a pilferer, and can determine the safest course to protect the caches from pilfering. Studies to assess similar cognitive abilities in apes have been inconclusive.<ref>James Owen: [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_crows_apes.html Crows as Clever as Great Apes, Study Says]. ''[[National Geographic News]]'', 2004-DEC-09. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref>

Corvid ingenuity is represented through their feeding skills, memorization abilities, use of tools, and group behaviour. Living in large social groups has long been connected with high cognitive ability. To live in a large group, a member must be able to recognize individuals and track the social position and foraging of other members over time. Members must also be able to distinguish between sex, age, reproductive status, and dominance, and to update this information constantly. Therefore, social complexity directly corresponds to high cognition.<ref>Bond ''et al''. (2003)</ref>

There are also specific examples of corvid cleverness. One [[Carrion Crow]] was documented to crack nuts by placing them on a crosswalk, letting the passing cars crack the shell, waiting for the light to turn red, and then safely retrieving the contents.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKO-QMyLc4&NR]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}} A group of crows in England took turns lifting garbage bin lids while their companions collected food.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

Members of the corvid family have been known to watch other birds, remember where they hide their food, then return once the owner leaves. Corvids also move their food around between hiding places to avoid thievery, but only if they have previously been thieves themselves. The ability to hide food requires highly accurate spatial memories. Corvids have been recorded to recall their food's hiding place up to nine months later. It is suggested that vertical landmarks (like trees) are used to remember locations. There has also been evidence that [[Western Scrub-Jay]]s, which store perishable foods, not only remember where they stored their food, but for how long. This has been compared to episodic memory, previously thought unique to humans.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

Looking at the act of thievery in the corvid family, some species will take their experience as a thief and use it to predict other bird actions of thievery. This explains why, if a corvid has committed thievery, they will take extra precautions (such as moving hiding places) to avoid being a future victim. Being able to predict others' behaviour based on one's own experiences is another trait previously thought unique to humans. Laboratory experiments have confirmed that crows in particular can sometimes use a past experience to approach a new obstacle.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[New Caledonian Crow]]s (''Corvus moneduloides'') are famous for their highly developed tool fabrication. They make angling tools of twigs and leaves trimmed into hooks. They then use the hooks to pull insect larvae from tree holes. Tools are engineered according to task and apparently also to learned preference. Other corvids that have been observed using tools include the [[American Crow]], [[Blue Jay]] and [[Green Jay]]. Diversity in tool design among corvids suggests cultural variation. Again, great apes are the only other non-human animals known to use tools in such a fashion.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[Clark's Nutcracker]]s and [[Jackdaw]]s were compared in a 2002 study based on geometric rule learning. The corvids, along with a [[domestic pigeon]], had to locate a target between two landmarks, while distances and landmarks were altered. The nutcrackers were more accurate in their searches than the jackdaws and pigeons.<ref>Jones ''et al''. (2002)</ref>

The [[scarecrow]] is an archetypal scare tactic in the agricultural business. However, due to corvids' quick wit, scarecrows are soon ignored and used as perches. Despite farmers' efforts to rid themselves of corvid pests, their attempts have only expanded corvid territories and strengthened their numbers.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Current leftist-oriented[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1132/is_6_54/ai_94142087] [[systematics]] places corvids, based on physical characteristics other than their brains (the most developed of birds), in the lower middle of the passerines, contrary to earlier [[teleological]] classifications as "highest" songbirds due to their intelligence.<ref name = j&f2006 /> As per one observer,
<blockquote>"During the 19th century there arose the belief that these were the 'most advanced' birds, based upon the belief that Darwinian evolution brings 'progress'. In such a classification the 'most intelligent' of birds were listed last reflecting their position 'atop the pyramid'. Modern biologists reject the concept of hierarchical 'progress' in evolution [...]."<ref name = robertson2000 /></blockquote>

The other major group of highly intelligent birds, [[parrot]]s and [[cockatoo]]s, is not closely related to corvids.

==Relationship with humans==
===Role in myth and culture===
{{Expand-section|date=November 2007}}
{{Seealso|Cultural depictions of ravens|Raven in mythology}}
Folklore often represents corvids as clever, and even mystical, animals. Some Native Americans, such as the [[Haida]], believed that a raven created the earth and despite being a trickster spirit, ravens were popular on totems, credited with creating man, and responsible for placing the Sun in the sky.

Various [[Germanic peoples]] highly revered the raven. The major deity [[Odin]] was so associated with ravens throughout history that he gained the [[kenning]] "raven god"<ref>E.g. [[Icelandic (language)|Icelandic]]: ''hrafnaguð'', as per the ''[[Gylfaginning]]''.</ref> and the [[raven banner]] was the flag of various [[Viking Age]] Scandinavian chieftains. He was also attended by [[Hugin and Munin]], two [[Common Raven|ravens]] who whispered news into his ears.<ref>Chappell J (2006)</ref> The [[Valravn]] sometimes appears in modern Scandinavian folklore.

The 6th century BC [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] scribe [[Aesop]] featured corvids as intelligent antagonists in many fables. Later, in western literature, popularized by [[United States|American]] poet [[Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe's]] work "[[The Raven]]", the [[Common Raven]] becomes a symbol of the main character's descent into madness.

===Status and conservation===
[[Image:Corvus hawaiiensis FWS.jpg|thumb|The [[Hawaiian Crow]] is [[extinct in the wild]] due to [[habitat loss]] and other factors.]]
Unlike many other bird [[family (biology)|families]], corvid [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] and reproduction, especially with many crows, has increased due to human development. The survival and reproductive success of certain crows and ravens is assisted by their close relationship with humans.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Human development provides additional resources by clearing land, creating shrublands rich in berries and insects. When the cleared land naturally replenishes, jays and crows use the young dense trees for nesting sites. Ravens typically use larger trees in denser forests.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Despite the fact that most corvids are not threatened (many even increasing due to human activity) a few species are in danger. For example, the destruction of the Southeast Asian rainforests is endangering [[mixed-species feeding flock]]s with members from the family Corvidae.<ref>Lee ''et al''. (2005)</ref> Also, since its [[semiarid]] scrubland [[habitat]] is an endangered [[ecosystem]], the [[Florida Scrub-jay]] has a small and declining population.<ref>BirdLife International (2004), Breiniger ''et al''. (2006)</ref> A number of island species, which are more vulnerable to [[introduced species]] and habitat loss, have been driven to extinction, such as the [[New Zealand Raven]], or are threatened, like the [[Mariana Crow]].

In the USA the [[American Crow]] population has definitely grown over the years. It is possible that the American Crow, due to humans increasing suitable habitat, will drive out [[Northwestern Crow|Northwestern]] and [[Fish Crow]]s.<ref>Marzluff & Angell (2005)</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Citations==
* {{aut|Berg, Elena C.}} (2005): Parentage and reproductive success in the white-throated magpie-jay, ''Calocitta formosa'', a cooperative breeder with female helpers. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''70'''(2): 375-385. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.11.008}} (HTML abstract)
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|[[BirdLife International]]}}|year=2004|id=40320|title=Aphelocoma coerulescens|downloaded=11 May 2006}}
* {{aut|Breininger, D.R.; Toland, B.; Oddy, D.M. & Legare, M.L.}} (2006): Landcover characterizations and Florida scrub-jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') population dynamics. ''Biological Conservation'' '''128'''(2): 169-181. {{doi|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.09.026}} [http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/research/scrubjay-landcover.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Bond, Alan B.; Kamil, Alan C. & Balda, Russell P.}} (2003): Social complexity and transitive inference in corvids. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''65'''(3): 479-487. {{DOI|10.1006/anbe.2003.2101}} [http://www.biosci.unl.edu/avcog/research/articles/AnBeh03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Chappell J}} (2006): [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1326277 Living with the Trickster: Crows, Ravens, and Human Culture.] ''PLoS Biol'' '''4''' (1):e14. {{DOI|10.1371/journal.pbio.0040014}}
* {{aut|Clayton, Nicola & Emery, Nathan}} (2005): Corvid cognition. ''Current Biology'' '''15'''(3): R80-R81. [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VRT-4FF20DD-6-3&_cdi=6243&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=02%2F08%2F2005&_qd=1&_sk=999849996&view=c&_alid=439049039&_rdoc=1&wchp=dGLbVlz-zSkzk&md5=ccdfc28018ed50f5153c001b9cd77b10&ie=/sdarticle.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Emery, Nathan & Clayton, Nicola}} (2004): The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes. ''Science'' '''306'''(5703): 1903 - 1907 {{DOI|10.1126/science.1098410}}
* {{aut|Ericson, Per G.P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan}} (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''[[Journal of Avian Biology|J. Avian Biol.]]'' '''36''': 222-234. {{doi|10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x}} [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}}
* {{aut|Gill, F.B.}} (2003) ''Ornithology'' (2nd edition). W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. ISBN 0-7167-2415-4
* {{aut|Goodwin, D.}} (1986) ''Crows of the world''. (2nd edition). British Museum of Natural History. ISBN 0-565-00979-6
* {{aut|James, Helen F.; Ericson, Per G.P.; Slikas, Beth; Lei, Fu-min & [[Storrs Olson|Olson, Storrs L.]]}} (2003): ''Pseudopodoces humilis'', a misclassified terrestrial tit (Aves: Paridae) of the Tibetan Plateau: evolutionary consequences of shifting adaptive zones. ''[[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]]'' '''145'''(2): 185–202. {{doi|10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00170.x}} [http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/1758/1/Pseudopodoces.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Jones, Juli E,; Antoniadis, Elena; Shettleworth, Sara J. & Kamil, Alan C.}} (2002): A Comparative Study of Geometric Rule Learning by Nutcrackers (''Nucifraga columbiana''), Pigeons (''Columba livia''), and Jackdaws (''Corvus monedula''). ''Journal of Comparative Psychology'' '''116'''(4): 350-356. [http://content.apa.org/journals/com/116/4/350 HTML abstract]
* {{aut|Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon}} (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). ''[[Zoologica Scripta|Zool. Scripta]]'' '''35'''(2): 149–186. {{doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Krushinskiy, L.V.; Zorina, Z.A. & Dashevskiy, B.A.}} (1979): [Ability of birds of the Corvidae family to operate by the empirical dimensions of figures]. ''Zhurnal vysshe nervno deiatelnosti imeni IP Pavlova'' '''29'''(3): 590-597. [Article in Russian] PMID 112801 (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Li, Shou-Hsien & Brown, Jerram L.}} (2000): High frequency of extrapair fertilization in a plural breeding bird, the Mexican jay, revealed by DNA microsatellites. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''60'''(6): 867-877 {{doi|10.1006/anbe.2000.1554}}
* {{aut|Lee, T.M.; Soh, M.C.K.; Sodhi, N.; Koh, L.P. & Lim, S.L.H.}} (2005): Effects of habitat disturbance on mixed species bird flocks in a tropical sub-montane rainforest. ''Biological Conservation'' '''122'''(2): 193-204. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2004.07.005}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Madge, S. & Burn, H.}} (1993): ''Crows and Jays''. Helm. ISBN 1-873403-18-6
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Angell, T.}} (2005): ''In the Company of Crows and Ravens''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. ISBN 0-300-10076-0
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Neatherlin, Eric}} (2006): Corvid response to human settlements and campgrounds: Causes, consequences, and challenges for conservation. ''Biological Conservation'' '''130'''(2): 301-314. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.026}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Patterson, I. J., Dunnet, G. M., & Fordham, R. A.}} (1971): Ecological studies of the Rook ''Corvus frugilegus'' L. in northeast Scotland. Dispersion. ''J. Appl. Ecol''. 8: 815-833.
* {{aut|Perrins, Christopher (2003)}}: ''The New Encyclopedia of Birds'' Oxford University Press: Oxford ISBN 0-19-852506-0
* {{aut|Robertson, Don}} (2000): Bird Families of the World: [http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/corvids.html Corvidae]. Created 2000-JAN-30. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.
* {{aut|[[Charles Sibley|Sibley, Charles Gald]] & [[Jon Edward Ahlquist|Ahlquist, Jon Edward]]}} ([1991]): ''Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution''. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0-300-04085-7
* {{aut|Verhulst, Sion & Salomons, H. Martijn}} (2004): Why fight? Socially dominant jackdaws, ''Corvus monedula'', have low fitness. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''68''': 777-783. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.020}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|[[Alexander Wetmore|Wetmore, Alexander]]}} (1937): The Eared Grebe and other Birds from the Pliocene of Kansas. ''[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]'' '''39'''(1): 40. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v039n01/p0040-p0040.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/DJVU/v039n01/P0040-P0040.djvu DjVu fulltext]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Corvidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://www.corvids.de corvids.de - Corvids-Literature-Database]
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?query=corvidae Corvidae sounds] on xeno-canto.org

[[Category:Corvidae|*]]
[[Category:bird families]]

[[an:Corvidae]]
[[bg:Вранови]]
[[ca:Còrvid]]
[[cs:Krkavcovití]]
[[da:Kragefugle]]
[[de:Rabenvögel]]
[[es:Corvidae]]
[[eo:Korvedoj]]
[[fr:Corvidae (Sibley)]]
[[ko:까마귀과]]
[[it:Corvidae]]
[[he:עורביים]]
[[la:Corvidae]]
[[lt:Varniniai]]
[[li:Krejechtege]]
[[hu:Varjúfélék]]
[[nl:Kraaiachtigen]]
[[ja:カラス科]]
[[no:Kråkefugler]]
[[nn:Kråkefamilien]]
[[oc:Corvini]]
[[pl:Krukowate]]
[[pt:Corvidae]]
[[ru:Врановые]]
[[scn:Corvidae]]
[[sk:Krkavcovité]]
[[sl:Vrani]]
[[fi:Varikset]]
[[sv:Kråkfåglar]]
[[vi:Họ Quạ]]
[[tr:Kargagiller]]
[[zh:鸦科]]

Corvidae

2008-08-19T03:11:06Z

76.202.197.92: Mention of intelligence in intro.

{{Taxobox
| name = Corvidae
| fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]] to Recent
| image = Cyanocitta-cristata-004.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = [[Blue Jay]] ''Cyanocitta cristata''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neoaves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| subordo = [[Passeri]]
| infraordo = [[Corvida]]
| superfamilia = [[Corvoidea]]
| familia = '''Corvidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision = see text
| range_map = Corvidae.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| range_map_caption =
Distribution map of the Corvidae.
<div style="text-align:left;"><big>{{Legend2|#00BE30|Native|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#F3F300|Introduced|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#0800E7|Extinct|border=1px solid #aaa}}</big></div>
}}

'''Corvidae''' is a [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] [[family (biology)|family]] of [[oscine]] [[passerine]] [[bird]]s that contains the [[crow]]s, [[raven]]s, [[rook (bird)|rook]]s, [[jackdaw]]s, [[jay]]s, [[magpie]]s, [[treepie]]s, [[Pyrrhocorax|choughs]] and [[nutcracker (bird)|nutcrackers]].<ref name=madge>Madge & Burn (1993)</ref><ref>Robertson (2000), Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The common English name used is '''corvids''' (more technically) or the '''crow family''' (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus ''Corvus'', including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family.

They are considered the most intelligent of the birds[http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0060202][http://news.yahoo.com/story//nm/20080819/sc_nm/magpies_mirror_dc] having demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests ([[European Magpie]]s) and tool making ability ([[Crows]]) — skills until recently regarded as solely the province of humans and a few other higher mammals. They are medium to large in size, with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single [[moult]] each year (most passerines moult twice).

Corvids are found worldwide except for the tip of [[South America]] and the polar ice caps.<ref name = claytonemery2005>Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The majority of the species are found in tropical South and [[Central America]], southern [[Asia]] and [[Eurasia]], with fewer than 10 species each in [[Africa]], [[Australasia]] and [[North America]]. The genus ''Corvus'' has re-entered [[Australia]] in relatively recent geological prehistory, with five species and one subspecies there (see [[crow]]s).

== Systematics, taxonomy and evolution ==
[[Image:Rufous Treepie I IMG 9850.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rufous Treepie]], ''Dendrocitta vagabunda'']]
[[Image:Yellow-billed Blue Magpie I IMG 7393.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris'']]
[[Image:Orvani (1).JPG|thumb|right|[[Eurasian Jay]] (''Garrulus glandarius''), Israel]]
[[Image:Elster wikipedia2.jpg|thumb|right|[[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica'']]
[[Image:Plush-crested Jay.jpg|thumb|right|[[Plush-crested Jay]], ''Cyanocorax chrysops'']]

Over the years there has been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid family and their relatives. What eventually seemed clear was that corvids are derived from [[Australasia]]n ancestors and from there spread throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. [[Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy|Sibley and Ahlquist]] united the corvids with other taxa in the [[Corvida]]. The presumed corvid relatives included [[currawong]]s, [[birds of paradise]], [[whipbird]]s, [[quail-thrush]]es, [[Pachycephalidae|whistlers]], [[monarch flycatcher]]s and [[drongo]]s, [[shrike]]s, [[vireo]]s and [[vanga]]s,<ref name = robertson2000>Robertson (2000)</ref> but current research favors the theory that this grouping is partly artificial. The corvids constitute the core group of the [[Corvoidea]], together with their closest relatives (the birds of paradise, [[Australian mud-nesters]] and shrikes). They are also the core group of the Corvida, which includes the related groups, such as [[oriole]]s and vireos.<ref name = j&f2006>Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref>

Clarification of the interrelationships of the corvids has been achieved based on [[cladistic]] analysis of several [[DNA sequence]]s.<ref>Ericson ''et al''. (2005), Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref> The jays and magpies do not constitute [[monophyletic]] lineages, but rather seem to split up into an [[Americas|American]] and [[Old World]] lineage, and an [[Holarctic]] and Oriental lineage, respectively. These are not closely related among each other. The position of the [[Azure-winged Magpie]], which has always been a major enigma, is even more unclear than it was before.

* '''Choughs'''
** ''[[Pyrrhocorax]]'' (2 species)
* '''[[Treepie]]s'''
** ''[[Dendrocitta]]'' (7 species)
** ''[[Crypsirina]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Temnurus]]'' - Ratchet-tailed Treepie
** ''[[Platysmurus]]'' - Black Magpie
* '''Oriental [[magpie]]s'''
** ''[[Urocissa]]'' (5 species)
** ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]'' (3 species)
* '''Old World [[jays]] and [[ground jay]]s'''
** ''[[Garrulus]]'' (3 species)
** ''[[Podoces]]'' (4 species)
** ''[[Ptilostomus]]'' - Piapiac
* '''[[Stresemann's Bush Crow]]''', ''Zavattariornis stresemanni''
* '''Nutcrackers'''
** ''[[Nucifraga]]'' (2 species)
* '''Holarctic magpies'''
** ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]'' (3-4 species)
* '''The True Crows ([[Crow (animal)|Crows]], [[Raven|ravens]] and [[Jackdaw|jackdaws]])'''
** ''[[Corvus (biology)|Corvus]]'' (some 43-45 species, 1 possibly recently [[extinct]], 1 [[extinct in the wild]])
* '''[[Azure-winged Magpie]]''', ''Cyanopica cyana'' (possibly 2 species)
* '''Grey jays'''
** ''[[Perisoreus]]'' (3 species)
* '''New World jays'''
** ''[[Aphelocoma]]'' - scrub-jays (5-6 species)
** ''[[Calocitta]]'' - magpie-jays (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocitta]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocorax]]'' (17-18 species)
** ''[[Cyanolyca]]'' (9 species, tentatively placed here)
** ''[[Gymnorhinus]]'' - Pinyon Jay

The [[Crested Jay]] (''Platylophus galericulatus'') is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but might not be a true member of this family, possibly being closer to the [[Prionops|helmet-shrikes]] ([[Malaconotidae]]) or [[shrike]]s ([[Laniidae]]); it is best considered [[Corvoidea]] ''[[incertae sedis]]'' for the time being.<ref name=madge/><ref name=goodwin>Goodwin (1986)</ref> Likewise, the [[Hume's Ground Tit|Hume's Ground "Jay"]] (''Pseudopodoces humilis'') is in fact a member of the tit family [[tit (bird)|Paridae]].<ref>James ''et al''. (2005)</ref>

===Fossil record===
The earliest corvid [[fossil]]s date to the mid-[[Miocene]], about 17 million years ago; ''[[Miocorvus]]'' and ''[[Miopica]]'' may be ancestral to crows and some of the magpie lineage, respectively, or similar to the living forms due to [[convergent evolution]]. The known prehistoric corvid genera appear to be mainly of the New World and Old World jay and Holarctic magpie lineages:

* ''[[Miocorvus]]'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France)
* ''[[Miopica]]'' (Middle Miocene of SW Ukraine)
* ''[[Miocitta]]'' (Pawnee Creek Late Miocene of Logan County, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Edson Early Pliocene of Sherman County, USA)<ref>[[Proximal]] right [[coracoid]] of a jay-sized bird, perhaps an Holarctic magpie distinct from ''Pica'': Wetmore (1937)</ref>
* ''[[Protocitta]]'' (Early Pleistocene of Reddick, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Early/Middle Pleistocene of Sicily) - probably belongs into extant genus
* ''[[Henocitta]]'' (Arredondo Clay Middle Pleistocene of Williston, USA)

In addition, there are numerous fossil species of extant genera since the [[Miocene|Mio]]-[[Pliocene]], mainly European ''Corvus''.<ref>See the genus accounts for more.</ref>

==Biology ==
===Morphology===
Corvids are large to very large [[passerine]]s with a robust build, strong legs and all species except the [[Pinyon Jay]] have [[nostril]]s covered by bristle-like feathers.<ref name = Perrins>Perrins 2003</ref> Many corvids of temperate zones have mainly black or blue coloured [[plumage]]; however, some are pied black and white, some have a blue-purple iridescence and many tropical species are brightly coloured. The sexes are very similar in color and size. Corvids have strong, stout bills and large wingspans. The family includes the largest members of the [[passerine]] order.

The smallest corvid is the [[Dwarf Jay]] (''Aphelocoma nana''), at 40 g (1.4 oz) and 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). The largest corvids are the [[Common Raven]] (''Corvus corax'') and the [[Thick-billed Raven]] (''Corvus crassirostris''), both of which regularly exceed 1400 grams (3 lbs) and 65 cm (26 inches).

Species can be identified based on size, shape, and geography; however, some, especially the Australian crows, are best identified by their raucous calls.<ref name = robertson2000 />

===Ecology===
Corvids occur in most climatic zones. Most are sedentary and do not [[bird migration|migrate]] significantly. However, during a shortage of food, eruptive migration can occur.<ref name = robertson2000 /> When species are migratory, they will form large flocks in the fall (around August in the [[northern hemisphere]]) and travel south.<ref name = shadesfonight />

One reason for the success of crows, compared to ravens, is their ability to overlap breeding territory. During breeding season, crows were shown to overlap breeding territory six times as much as ravens. This invasion of breeding ranges allowed a related increase in local population density.<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Food and feeding===
[[Image:Raven scavenging on a dead shark.jpg|thumb|right|Corvids are highly opportunistic foragers. Here a [[Jungle Crow]] feeds on a shark carcass.]]
The natural diet of many corvid species is omnivorous, consisting of [[invertebrate]]s, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and [[carrion]]. However, some corvids, especially the crows, have adapted well to human conditions and have come to rely on anthropogenic foods. In a US study of [[American Crow]]s, [[Common Raven]]s and [[Steller's Jay]]s around campgrounds and human settlements, the crows appeared to have the most diverse diet of all, taking anthropogenic foods such as bread, spaghetti, fried potatoes, dog food, sandwiches, and livestock feed. The increase in available anthropogenic food sources is contributing to population increase in some corvid species.<ref name = m&n2006>Marzluff & Neatherlin (2006)</ref>.

Some corvids are predators of other birds. During the wintering months, corvids typically form foraging flocks.<ref name = robertson2000 /> However, some crows also eat many agricultural pests including cutworms, wireworms, grasshoppers, and harmful weeds<ref name = shadesfonight>Shades of Night: [http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/ The Aviary]. Version of 2004-JUL-21. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> Some corvids will eat carrion, and since they lack a specialized beak for tearing into flesh, they must wait until animals are opened, whether by other predators or as roadkill.

Since crows do not seem to mind human development, it was suggested that the crow population increase would cause increased rates of nest predation. However, Steller's Jays, which are successful independently of human development, are more efficient in plundering small birds' nests than [[American Crow]]s and [[Common Raven]]s. Therefore, the human relationship with crows and ravens did not significantly increase nest predation, compared to other factors such as [[habitat destruction]].<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Reproduction===
[[Image:Perisoreus canadensis feeding at nest.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Gray Jay]] pair feeding their chicks. ]]
Many species of corvid are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], protecting territories throughout the year or simply during the breeding season. In some cases territories may only be guarded during the day, with the pair joining off-territory roosts at night. Some corvids are well known communal roosters. Some groups of roosting corvids can be very large, with a roost of 65,000 [[Rook (bird)|Rooks]] counted in Scotland.<ref>Patterson ''et al''. (1971)</ref> Some, including the Rook and the [[Jackdaw]], are also communal nesters.

The partner bond in corvids is extremely strong and even lifelong in some species. This monogamous lifestyle, however, can still contain extra-pair copulations.<ref>Li & Brown (2000)</ref> Males and females build large nests together in trees or on ledges. The male will also feed the female during incubation.<ref>[[Encyclopedia Britannica Online]]: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026450 Corvidae]. Free subscription required.</ref> The nests are constructed of a mass of bulky twigs lined with grass and bark. Corvids can lay between 3 and 10 eggs, typically ranging between 4 and 7. The eggs are usually greenish in colour with brown blotches. Once hatched, the young remain in the nests for up to 6-10 weeks depending on the species. Corvids provide biparental care.

Jackdaws can breed in buildings or in rabbit warrens.<ref name = v&s2004>Verhulst & Salomons (2004)</ref> [[White-throated Magpie-jay]]s are cooperatively breeding corvids where the helpers are mostly female. [[Cooperative breeding]] takes place when additional adults help raise the nestlings. Such [[helpers at the nest]] in most cooperatively breeding birds are males, while females join other groups.<ref>Berg (2005)</ref>

===Social life ===
Some corvids have strong organization and community groups. Jackdaws, for example, have a strong social hierarchy, and are facultatively colonial during breeding.<ref name = v&s2004/> Providing mutual aid has also been recorded within many of the corvid species.

Young corvids have been known to play and take part in elaborate social [[game]]s. Documented group games follow a "king of the mountain"- and "follow the leader"-type pattern. Other [[Play (activity)|play]] involves the manipulation, passing, and balancing of sticks. Corvids also take part in other activities, such as sliding down smooth surfaces. These games are understood to play a large role in the adaptive and survival ability of the birds.<ref>Gill (2003)</ref>

Mate selection is quite complex and accompanied with much social play in the Corvidae. Youngsters of social corvid species undergo a series of tests, including aerobatic feats, before being accepted as a mate by the opposite sex.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Some corvids can be aggressive. [[Blue Jay]]s, for example, are well known to attack anything that threatens their nest. Crows have been known to attack dogs, cats, ravens, and birds of prey. Most of the time these assaults take place as a distraction long enough to allow an opportunity for stealing food.<ref name = shadesfonight />

===Intelligence ===
{{seealso|Avian intelligence}}
Based on the brain-to-body ratio of animals over 1 kilogram, corvid brains are among the largest in birds, equal to that of [[great ape]]s and [[cetacean]]s, and only slightly lower than a human.<ref>Birding in India and South Asia: [http://www.birding.in/birds/Passeriformes/corvidae.htm Corvidae]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10</ref> Their intelligence is boosted by the long growing period of the young. By remaining with the parents, the young have more opportunities to learn necessary skills. Since most corvids are cooperative brooders, their young can learn from different members of the group.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

When compared to dogs and cats in an experiment testing the ability to seek out food according to three-dimensional clues, corvids out-performed the mammals.<ref>Krushinskii ''et al''. (1979)</ref> A [[metaanalysis]] testing how often birds invented new ways to acquire food in the wild found corvids the most innovative birds.<ref>[[BBC Online]]: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4286965.stm Crows and jays top bird IQ scale]. Version of 2005-FEB-25- Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> A 2004 review suggests that their cognitive abilities are on par with those of great apes.<ref>Emery & Clayton 2004)</ref> Despite structural differences, the brains of corvids and great apes both evolved the ability to make geometrical measurements. Some corvids demonstrate the capacity for imagination, something believed to be otherwise unique to humans. For example, they remember previous relevant social contexts, use their own experience of having been a thief to predict the behavior of a pilferer, and can determine the safest course to protect the caches from pilfering. Studies to assess similar cognitive abilities in apes have been inconclusive.<ref>James Owen: [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_crows_apes.html Crows as Clever as Great Apes, Study Says]. ''[[National Geographic News]]'', 2004-DEC-09. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref>

Corvid ingenuity is represented through their feeding skills, memorization abilities, use of tools, and group behaviour. Living in large social groups has long been connected with high cognitive ability. To live in a large group, a member must be able to recognize individuals and track the social position and foraging of other members over time. Members must also be able to distinguish between sex, age, reproductive status, and dominance, and to update this information constantly. Therefore, social complexity directly corresponds to high cognition.<ref>Bond ''et al''. (2003)</ref>

There are also specific examples of corvid cleverness. One [[Carrion Crow]] was documented to crack nuts by placing them on a crosswalk, letting the passing cars crack the shell, waiting for the light to turn red, and then safely retrieving the contents.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKO-QMyLc4&NR]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}} A group of crows in England took turns lifting garbage bin lids while their companions collected food.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

Members of the corvid family have been known to watch other birds, remember where they hide their food, then return once the owner leaves. Corvids also move their food around between hiding places to avoid thievery, but only if they have previously been thieves themselves. The ability to hide food requires highly accurate spatial memories. Corvids have been recorded to recall their food's hiding place up to nine months later. It is suggested that vertical landmarks (like trees) are used to remember locations. There has also been evidence that [[Western Scrub-Jay]]s, which store perishable foods, not only remember where they stored their food, but for how long. This has been compared to episodic memory, previously thought unique to humans.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

Looking at the act of thievery in the corvid family, some species will take their experience as a thief and use it to predict other bird actions of thievery. This explains why, if a corvid has committed thievery, they will take extra precautions (such as moving hiding places) to avoid being a future victim. Being able to predict others' behaviour based on one's own experiences is another trait previously thought unique to humans. Laboratory experiments have confirmed that crows in particular can sometimes use a past experience to approach a new obstacle.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[New Caledonian Crow]]s (''Corvus moneduloides'') are famous for their highly developed tool fabrication. They make angling tools of twigs and leaves trimmed into hooks. They then use the hooks to pull insect larvae from tree holes. Tools are engineered according to task and apparently also to learned preference. Other corvids that have been observed using tools include the [[American Crow]], [[Blue Jay]] and [[Green Jay]]. Diversity in tool design among corvids suggests cultural variation. Again, great apes are the only other non-human animals known to use tools in such a fashion.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[Clark's Nutcracker]]s and [[Jackdaw]]s were compared in a 2002 study based on geometric rule learning. The corvids, along with a [[domestic pigeon]], had to locate a target between two landmarks, while distances and landmarks were altered. The nutcrackers were more accurate in their searches than the jackdaws and pigeons.<ref>Jones ''et al''. (2002)</ref>

The [[scarecrow]] is an archetypal scare tactic in the agricultural business. However, due to corvids' quick wit, scarecrows are soon ignored and used as perches. Despite farmers' efforts to rid themselves of corvid pests, their attempts have only expanded corvid territories and strengthened their numbers.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Current [[systematics]] places corvids, based on their evolutionary characters, in the lower middle of the passerines, contrary to earlier [[teleological]] classifications as "highest" songbirds due to their intelligence.<ref name = j&f2006 /> As per one observer,
<blockquote>"During the 19th century there arose the belief that these were the 'most advanced' birds, based upon the belief that Darwinian evolution brings 'progress'. In such a classification the 'most intelligent' of birds were listed last reflecting their position 'atop the pyramid'. Modern biologists reject the concept of hierarchical 'progress' in evolution [...]."<ref name = robertson2000 /></blockquote>

The other major group of highly intelligent birds, [[parrot]]s and [[cockatoo]]s, is not closely related to corvids.

==Relationship with humans==
===Role in myth and culture===
{{Expand-section|date=November 2007}}
{{Seealso|Cultural depictions of ravens|Raven in mythology}}
Folklore often represents corvids as clever, and even mystical, animals. Some Native Americans, such as the [[Haida]], believed that a raven created the earth and despite being a trickster spirit, ravens were popular on totems, credited with creating man, and responsible for placing the Sun in the sky.

Various [[Germanic peoples]] highly revered the raven. The major deity [[Odin]] was so associated with ravens throughout history that he gained the [[kenning]] "raven god"<ref>E.g. [[Icelandic (language)|Icelandic]]: ''hrafnaguð'', as per the ''[[Gylfaginning]]''.</ref> and the [[raven banner]] was the flag of various [[Viking Age]] Scandinavian chieftains. He was also attended by [[Hugin and Munin]], two [[Common Raven|ravens]] who whispered news into his ears.<ref>Chappell J (2006)</ref> The [[Valravn]] sometimes appears in modern Scandinavian folklore.

The 6th century BC [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] scribe [[Aesop]] featured corvids as intelligent antagonists in many fables. Later, in western literature, popularized by [[United States|American]] poet [[Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe's]] work "[[The Raven]]", the [[Common Raven]] becomes a symbol of the main character's descent into madness.

===Status and conservation===
[[Image:Corvus hawaiiensis FWS.jpg|thumb|The [[Hawaiian Crow]] is [[extinct in the wild]] due to [[habitat loss]] and other factors.]]
Unlike many other bird [[family (biology)|families]], corvid [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] and reproduction, especially with many crows, has increased due to human development. The survival and reproductive success of certain crows and ravens is assisted by their close relationship with humans.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Human development provides additional resources by clearing land, creating shrublands rich in berries and insects. When the cleared land naturally replenishes, jays and crows use the young dense trees for nesting sites. Ravens typically use larger trees in denser forests.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Despite the fact that most corvids are not threatened (many even increasing due to human activity) a few species are in danger. For example, the destruction of the Southeast Asian rainforests is endangering [[mixed-species feeding flock]]s with members from the family Corvidae.<ref>Lee ''et al''. (2005)</ref> Also, since its [[semiarid]] scrubland [[habitat]] is an endangered [[ecosystem]], the [[Florida Scrub-jay]] has a small and declining population.<ref>BirdLife International (2004), Breiniger ''et al''. (2006)</ref> A number of island species, which are more vulnerable to [[introduced species]] and habitat loss, have been driven to extinction, such as the [[New Zealand Raven]], or are threatened, like the [[Mariana Crow]].

In the USA the [[American Crow]] population has definitely grown over the years. It is possible that the American Crow, due to humans increasing suitable habitat, will drive out [[Northwestern Crow|Northwestern]] and [[Fish Crow]]s.<ref>Marzluff & Angell (2005)</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Citations==
* {{aut|Berg, Elena C.}} (2005): Parentage and reproductive success in the white-throated magpie-jay, ''Calocitta formosa'', a cooperative breeder with female helpers. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''70'''(2): 375-385. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.11.008}} (HTML abstract)
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|[[BirdLife International]]}}|year=2004|id=40320|title=Aphelocoma coerulescens|downloaded=11 May 2006}}
* {{aut|Breininger, D.R.; Toland, B.; Oddy, D.M. & Legare, M.L.}} (2006): Landcover characterizations and Florida scrub-jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') population dynamics. ''Biological Conservation'' '''128'''(2): 169-181. {{doi|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.09.026}} [http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/research/scrubjay-landcover.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Bond, Alan B.; Kamil, Alan C. & Balda, Russell P.}} (2003): Social complexity and transitive inference in corvids. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''65'''(3): 479-487. {{DOI|10.1006/anbe.2003.2101}} [http://www.biosci.unl.edu/avcog/research/articles/AnBeh03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Chappell J}} (2006): [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1326277 Living with the Trickster: Crows, Ravens, and Human Culture.] ''PLoS Biol'' '''4''' (1):e14. {{DOI|10.1371/journal.pbio.0040014}}
* {{aut|Clayton, Nicola & Emery, Nathan}} (2005): Corvid cognition. ''Current Biology'' '''15'''(3): R80-R81. [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VRT-4FF20DD-6-3&_cdi=6243&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=02%2F08%2F2005&_qd=1&_sk=999849996&view=c&_alid=439049039&_rdoc=1&wchp=dGLbVlz-zSkzk&md5=ccdfc28018ed50f5153c001b9cd77b10&ie=/sdarticle.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Emery, Nathan & Clayton, Nicola}} (2004): The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes. ''Science'' '''306'''(5703): 1903 - 1907 {{DOI|10.1126/science.1098410}}
* {{aut|Ericson, Per G.P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan}} (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''[[Journal of Avian Biology|J. Avian Biol.]]'' '''36''': 222-234. {{doi|10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x}} [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}}
* {{aut|Gill, F.B.}} (2003) ''Ornithology'' (2nd edition). W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. ISBN 0-7167-2415-4
* {{aut|Goodwin, D.}} (1986) ''Crows of the world''. (2nd edition). British Museum of Natural History. ISBN 0-565-00979-6
* {{aut|James, Helen F.; Ericson, Per G.P.; Slikas, Beth; Lei, Fu-min & [[Storrs Olson|Olson, Storrs L.]]}} (2003): ''Pseudopodoces humilis'', a misclassified terrestrial tit (Aves: Paridae) of the Tibetan Plateau: evolutionary consequences of shifting adaptive zones. ''[[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]]'' '''145'''(2): 185–202. {{doi|10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00170.x}} [http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/1758/1/Pseudopodoces.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Jones, Juli E,; Antoniadis, Elena; Shettleworth, Sara J. & Kamil, Alan C.}} (2002): A Comparative Study of Geometric Rule Learning by Nutcrackers (''Nucifraga columbiana''), Pigeons (''Columba livia''), and Jackdaws (''Corvus monedula''). ''Journal of Comparative Psychology'' '''116'''(4): 350-356. [http://content.apa.org/journals/com/116/4/350 HTML abstract]
* {{aut|Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon}} (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). ''[[Zoologica Scripta|Zool. Scripta]]'' '''35'''(2): 149–186. {{doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Krushinskiy, L.V.; Zorina, Z.A. & Dashevskiy, B.A.}} (1979): [Ability of birds of the Corvidae family to operate by the empirical dimensions of figures]. ''Zhurnal vysshe nervno deiatelnosti imeni IP Pavlova'' '''29'''(3): 590-597. [Article in Russian] PMID 112801 (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Li, Shou-Hsien & Brown, Jerram L.}} (2000): High frequency of extrapair fertilization in a plural breeding bird, the Mexican jay, revealed by DNA microsatellites. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''60'''(6): 867-877 {{doi|10.1006/anbe.2000.1554}}
* {{aut|Lee, T.M.; Soh, M.C.K.; Sodhi, N.; Koh, L.P. & Lim, S.L.H.}} (2005): Effects of habitat disturbance on mixed species bird flocks in a tropical sub-montane rainforest. ''Biological Conservation'' '''122'''(2): 193-204. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2004.07.005}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Madge, S. & Burn, H.}} (1993): ''Crows and Jays''. Helm. ISBN 1-873403-18-6
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Angell, T.}} (2005): ''In the Company of Crows and Ravens''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. ISBN 0-300-10076-0
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Neatherlin, Eric}} (2006): Corvid response to human settlements and campgrounds: Causes, consequences, and challenges for conservation. ''Biological Conservation'' '''130'''(2): 301-314. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.026}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Patterson, I. J., Dunnet, G. M., & Fordham, R. A.}} (1971): Ecological studies of the Rook ''Corvus frugilegus'' L. in northeast Scotland. Dispersion. ''J. Appl. Ecol''. 8: 815-833.
* {{aut|Perrins, Christopher (2003)}}: ''The New Encyclopedia of Birds'' Oxford University Press: Oxford ISBN 0-19-852506-0
* {{aut|Robertson, Don}} (2000): Bird Families of the World: [http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/corvids.html Corvidae]. Created 2000-JAN-30. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.
* {{aut|[[Charles Sibley|Sibley, Charles Gald]] & [[Jon Edward Ahlquist|Ahlquist, Jon Edward]]}} ([1991]): ''Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution''. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0-300-04085-7
* {{aut|Verhulst, Sion & Salomons, H. Martijn}} (2004): Why fight? Socially dominant jackdaws, ''Corvus monedula'', have low fitness. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''68''': 777-783. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.020}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|[[Alexander Wetmore|Wetmore, Alexander]]}} (1937): The Eared Grebe and other Birds from the Pliocene of Kansas. ''[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]'' '''39'''(1): 40. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v039n01/p0040-p0040.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/DJVU/v039n01/P0040-P0040.djvu DjVu fulltext]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Corvidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://www.corvids.de corvids.de - Corvids-Literature-Database]
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?query=corvidae Corvidae sounds] on xeno-canto.org

[[Category:Corvidae|*]]
[[Category:bird families]]

[[an:Corvidae]]
[[bg:Вранови]]
[[ca:Còrvid]]
[[cs:Krkavcovití]]
[[da:Kragefugle]]
[[de:Rabenvögel]]
[[es:Corvidae]]
[[eo:Korvedoj]]
[[fr:Corvidae (Sibley)]]
[[ko:까마귀과]]
[[it:Corvidae]]
[[he:עורביים]]
[[la:Corvidae]]
[[lt:Varniniai]]
[[li:Krejechtege]]
[[hu:Varjúfélék]]
[[nl:Kraaiachtigen]]
[[ja:カラス科]]
[[no:Kråkefugler]]
[[nn:Kråkefamilien]]
[[oc:Corvini]]
[[pl:Krukowate]]
[[pt:Corvidae]]
[[ru:Врановые]]
[[scn:Corvidae]]
[[sk:Krkavcovité]]
[[sl:Vrani]]
[[fi:Varikset]]
[[sv:Kråkfåglar]]
[[vi:Họ Quạ]]
[[tr:Kargagiller]]
[[zh:鸦科]]

Corvidae

2008-08-19T02:55:38Z

76.202.197.92: formatting

{{Taxobox
| name = Corvidae
| fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]] to Recent
| image = Cyanocitta-cristata-004.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = [[Blue Jay]] ''Cyanocitta cristata''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neoaves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| subordo = [[Passeri]]
| infraordo = [[Corvida]]
| superfamilia = [[Corvoidea]]
| familia = '''Corvidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision = see text
| range_map = Corvidae.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| range_map_caption =
Distribution map of the Corvidae.
<div style="text-align:left;"><big>{{Legend2|#00BE30|Native|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#F3F300|Introduced|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#0800E7|Extinct|border=1px solid #aaa}}</big></div>
}}

'''Corvidae''' is a [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] [[family (biology)|family]] of [[oscine]] [[passerine]] [[bird]]s that contains the [[crow]]s, [[raven]]s, [[rook (bird)|rook]]s, [[jackdaw]]s, [[jay]]s, [[magpie]]s, [[treepie]]s, [[Pyrrhocorax|choughs]] and [[nutcracker (bird)|nutcrackers]].<ref name=madge>Madge & Burn (1993)</ref><ref>Robertson (2000), Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The common English name used is '''corvids''' (more technically) or the '''crow family''' (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus ''Corvus'', including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family.

They are medium to large birds with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single [[moult]] each year (most passerines moult twice).

Corvids are found worldwide except for the tip of [[South America]] and the polar ice caps.<ref name = claytonemery2005>Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The majority of the species are found in tropical South and [[Central America]], southern [[Asia]] and [[Eurasia]], with fewer than 10 species each in [[Africa]], [[Australasia]] and [[North America]]. The genus ''Corvus'' has re-entered [[Australia]] in relatively recent geological prehistory, with five species and one subspecies there (see [[crow]]s).

== Systematics, taxonomy and evolution ==
[[Image:Rufous Treepie I IMG 9850.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rufous Treepie]], ''Dendrocitta vagabunda'']]
[[Image:Yellow-billed Blue Magpie I IMG 7393.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris'']]
[[Image:Orvani (1).JPG|thumb|right|[[Eurasian Jay]] (''Garrulus glandarius''), Israel]]
[[Image:Elster wikipedia2.jpg|thumb|right|[[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica'']]
[[Image:Plush-crested Jay.jpg|thumb|right|[[Plush-crested Jay]], ''Cyanocorax chrysops'']]

Over the years there has been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid family and their relatives. What eventually seemed clear was that corvids are derived from [[Australasia]]n ancestors and from there spread throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. [[Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy|Sibley and Ahlquist]] united the corvids with other taxa in the [[Corvida]]. The presumed corvid relatives included [[currawong]]s, [[birds of paradise]], [[whipbird]]s, [[quail-thrush]]es, [[Pachycephalidae|whistlers]], [[monarch flycatcher]]s and [[drongo]]s, [[shrike]]s, [[vireo]]s and [[vanga]]s,<ref name = robertson2000>Robertson (2000)</ref> but current research favors the theory that this grouping is partly artificial. The corvids constitute the core group of the [[Corvoidea]], together with their closest relatives (the birds of paradise, [[Australian mud-nesters]] and shrikes). They are also the core group of the Corvida, which includes the related groups, such as [[oriole]]s and vireos.<ref name = j&f2006>Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref>

Clarification of the interrelationships of the corvids has been achieved based on [[cladistic]] analysis of several [[DNA sequence]]s.<ref>Ericson ''et al''. (2005), Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref> The jays and magpies do not constitute [[monophyletic]] lineages, but rather seem to split up into an [[Americas|American]] and [[Old World]] lineage, and an [[Holarctic]] and Oriental lineage, respectively. These are not closely related among each other. The position of the [[Azure-winged Magpie]], which has always been a major enigma, is even more unclear than it was before.

* '''Choughs'''
** ''[[Pyrrhocorax]]'' (2 species)
* '''[[Treepie]]s'''
** ''[[Dendrocitta]]'' (7 species)
** ''[[Crypsirina]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Temnurus]]'' - Ratchet-tailed Treepie
** ''[[Platysmurus]]'' - Black Magpie
* '''Oriental [[magpie]]s'''
** ''[[Urocissa]]'' (5 species)
** ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]'' (3 species)
* '''Old World [[jays]] and [[ground jay]]s'''
** ''[[Garrulus]]'' (3 species)
** ''[[Podoces]]'' (4 species)
** ''[[Ptilostomus]]'' - Piapiac
* '''[[Stresemann's Bush Crow]]''', ''Zavattariornis stresemanni''
* '''Nutcrackers'''
** ''[[Nucifraga]]'' (2 species)
* '''Holarctic magpies'''
** ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]'' (3-4 species)
* '''The True Crows ([[Crow (animal)|Crows]], [[Raven|ravens]] and [[Jackdaw|jackdaws]])'''
** ''[[Corvus (biology)|Corvus]]'' (some 43-45 species, 1 possibly recently [[extinct]], 1 [[extinct in the wild]])
* '''[[Azure-winged Magpie]]''', ''Cyanopica cyana'' (possibly 2 species)
* '''Grey jays'''
** ''[[Perisoreus]]'' (3 species)
* '''New World jays'''
** ''[[Aphelocoma]]'' - scrub-jays (5-6 species)
** ''[[Calocitta]]'' - magpie-jays (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocitta]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocorax]]'' (17-18 species)
** ''[[Cyanolyca]]'' (9 species, tentatively placed here)
** ''[[Gymnorhinus]]'' - Pinyon Jay

The [[Crested Jay]] (''Platylophus galericulatus'') is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but might not be a true member of this family, possibly being closer to the [[Prionops|helmet-shrikes]] ([[Malaconotidae]]) or [[shrike]]s ([[Laniidae]]); it is best considered [[Corvoidea]] ''[[incertae sedis]]'' for the time being.<ref name=madge/><ref name=goodwin>Goodwin (1986)</ref> Likewise, the [[Hume's Ground Tit|Hume's Ground "Jay"]] (''Pseudopodoces humilis'') is in fact a member of the tit family [[tit (bird)|Paridae]].<ref>James ''et al''. (2005)</ref>

===Fossil record===
The earliest corvid [[fossil]]s date to the mid-[[Miocene]], about 17 million years ago; ''[[Miocorvus]]'' and ''[[Miopica]]'' may be ancestral to crows and some of the magpie lineage, respectively, or similar to the living forms due to [[convergent evolution]]. The known prehistoric corvid genera appear to be mainly of the New World and Old World jay and Holarctic magpie lineages:

* ''[[Miocorvus]]'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France)
* ''[[Miopica]]'' (Middle Miocene of SW Ukraine)
* ''[[Miocitta]]'' (Pawnee Creek Late Miocene of Logan County, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Edson Early Pliocene of Sherman County, USA)<ref>[[Proximal]] right [[coracoid]] of a jay-sized bird, perhaps an Holarctic magpie distinct from ''Pica'': Wetmore (1937)</ref>
* ''[[Protocitta]]'' (Early Pleistocene of Reddick, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Early/Middle Pleistocene of Sicily) - probably belongs into extant genus
* ''[[Henocitta]]'' (Arredondo Clay Middle Pleistocene of Williston, USA)

In addition, there are numerous fossil species of extant genera since the [[Miocene|Mio]]-[[Pliocene]], mainly European ''Corvus''.<ref>See the genus accounts for more.</ref>

==Biology ==
===Morphology===
Corvids are large to very large [[passerine]]s with a robust build, strong legs and all species except the [[Pinyon Jay]] have [[nostril]]s covered by bristle-like feathers.<ref name = Perrins>Perrins 2003</ref> Many corvids of temperate zones have mainly black or blue coloured [[plumage]]; however, some are pied black and white, some have a blue-purple iridescence and many tropical species are brightly coloured. The sexes are very similar in color and size. Corvids have strong, stout bills and large wingspans. The family includes the largest members of the [[passerine]] order.

The smallest corvid is the [[Dwarf Jay]] (''Aphelocoma nana''), at 40 g (1.4 oz) and 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). The largest corvids are the [[Common Raven]] (''Corvus corax'') and the [[Thick-billed Raven]] (''Corvus crassirostris''), both of which regularly exceed 1400 grams (3 lbs) and 65 cm (26 inches).

Species can be identified based on size, shape, and geography; however, some, especially the Australian crows, are best identified by their raucous calls.<ref name = robertson2000 />

===Ecology===
Corvids occur in most climatic zones. Most are sedentary and do not [[bird migration|migrate]] significantly. However, during a shortage of food, eruptive migration can occur.<ref name = robertson2000 /> When species are migratory, they will form large flocks in the fall (around August in the [[northern hemisphere]]) and travel south.<ref name = shadesfonight />

One reason for the success of crows, compared to ravens, is their ability to overlap breeding territory. During breeding season, crows were shown to overlap breeding territory six times as much as ravens. This invasion of breeding ranges allowed a related increase in local population density.<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Food and feeding===
[[Image:Raven scavenging on a dead shark.jpg|thumb|right|Corvids are highly opportunistic foragers. Here a [[Jungle Crow]] feeds on a shark carcass.]]
The natural diet of many corvid species is omnivorous, consisting of [[invertebrate]]s, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and [[carrion]]. However, some corvids, especially the crows, have adapted well to human conditions and have come to rely on anthropogenic foods. In a US study of [[American Crow]]s, [[Common Raven]]s and [[Steller's Jay]]s around campgrounds and human settlements, the crows appeared to have the most diverse diet of all, taking anthropogenic foods such as bread, spaghetti, fried potatoes, dog food, sandwiches, and livestock feed. The increase in available anthropogenic food sources is contributing to population increase in some corvid species.<ref name = m&n2006>Marzluff & Neatherlin (2006)</ref>.

Some corvids are predators of other birds. During the wintering months, corvids typically form foraging flocks.<ref name = robertson2000 /> However, some crows also eat many agricultural pests including cutworms, wireworms, grasshoppers, and harmful weeds<ref name = shadesfonight>Shades of Night: [http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/ The Aviary]. Version of 2004-JUL-21. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> Some corvids will eat carrion, and since they lack a specialized beak for tearing into flesh, they must wait until animals are opened, whether by other predators or as roadkill.

Since crows do not seem to mind human development, it was suggested that the crow population increase would cause increased rates of nest predation. However, Steller's Jays, which are successful independently of human development, are more efficient in plundering small birds' nests than [[American Crow]]s and [[Common Raven]]s. Therefore, the human relationship with crows and ravens did not significantly increase nest predation, compared to other factors such as [[habitat destruction]].<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Reproduction===
[[Image:Perisoreus canadensis feeding at nest.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Gray Jay]] pair feeding their chicks. ]]
Many species of corvid are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], protecting territories throughout the year or simply during the breeding season. In some cases territories may only be guarded during the day, with the pair joining off-territory roosts at night. Some corvids are well known communal roosters. Some groups of roosting corvids can be very large, with a roost of 65,000 [[Rook (bird)|Rooks]] counted in Scotland.<ref>Patterson ''et al''. (1971)</ref> Some, including the Rook and the [[Jackdaw]], are also communal nesters.

The partner bond in corvids is extremely strong and even lifelong in some species. This monogamous lifestyle, however, can still contain extra-pair copulations.<ref>Li & Brown (2000)</ref> Males and females build large nests together in trees or on ledges. The male will also feed the female during incubation.<ref>[[Encyclopedia Britannica Online]]: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026450 Corvidae]. Free subscription required.</ref> The nests are constructed of a mass of bulky twigs lined with grass and bark. Corvids can lay between 3 and 10 eggs, typically ranging between 4 and 7. The eggs are usually greenish in colour with brown blotches. Once hatched, the young remain in the nests for up to 6-10 weeks depending on the species. Corvids provide biparental care.

Jackdaws can breed in buildings or in rabbit warrens.<ref name = v&s2004>Verhulst & Salomons (2004)</ref> [[White-throated Magpie-jay]]s are cooperatively breeding corvids where the helpers are mostly female. [[Cooperative breeding]] takes place when additional adults help raise the nestlings. Such [[helpers at the nest]] in most cooperatively breeding birds are males, while females join other groups.<ref>Berg (2005)</ref>

===Social life ===
Some corvids have strong organization and community groups. Jackdaws, for example, have a strong social hierarchy, and are facultatively colonial during breeding.<ref name = v&s2004/> Providing mutual aid has also been recorded within many of the corvid species.

Young corvids have been known to play and take part in elaborate social [[game]]s. Documented group games follow a "king of the mountain"- and "follow the leader"-type pattern. Other [[Play (activity)|play]] involves the manipulation, passing, and balancing of sticks. Corvids also take part in other activities, such as sliding down smooth surfaces. These games are understood to play a large role in the adaptive and survival ability of the birds.<ref>Gill (2003)</ref>

Mate selection is quite complex and accompanied with much social play in the Corvidae. Youngsters of social corvid species undergo a series of tests, including aerobatic feats, before being accepted as a mate by the opposite sex.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Some corvids can be aggressive. [[Blue Jay]]s, for example, are well known to attack anything that threatens their nest. Crows have been known to attack dogs, cats, ravens, and birds of prey. Most of the time these assaults take place as a distraction long enough to allow an opportunity for stealing food.<ref name = shadesfonight />

===Intelligence ===
{{seealso|Avian intelligence}}
Based on the brain-to-body ratio of animals over 1 kilogram, corvid brains are among the largest in birds, equal to that of [[great ape]]s and [[cetacean]]s, and only slightly lower than a human.<ref>Birding in India and South Asia: [http://www.birding.in/birds/Passeriformes/corvidae.htm Corvidae]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10</ref> Their intelligence is boosted by the long growing period of the young. By remaining with the parents, the young have more opportunities to learn necessary skills. Since most corvids are cooperative brooders, their young can learn from different members of the group.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

When compared to dogs and cats in an experiment testing the ability to seek out food according to three-dimensional clues, corvids out-performed the mammals.<ref>Krushinskii ''et al''. (1979)</ref> A [[metaanalysis]] testing how often birds invented new ways to acquire food in the wild found corvids the most innovative birds.<ref>[[BBC Online]]: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4286965.stm Crows and jays top bird IQ scale]. Version of 2005-FEB-25- Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> A 2004 review suggests that their cognitive abilities are on par with those of great apes.<ref>Emery & Clayton 2004)</ref> Despite structural differences, the brains of corvids and great apes both evolved the ability to make geometrical measurements. Some corvids demonstrate the capacity for imagination, something believed to be otherwise unique to humans. For example, they remember previous relevant social contexts, use their own experience of having been a thief to predict the behavior of a pilferer, and can determine the safest course to protect the caches from pilfering. Studies to assess similar cognitive abilities in apes have been inconclusive.<ref>James Owen: [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_crows_apes.html Crows as Clever as Great Apes, Study Says]. ''[[National Geographic News]]'', 2004-DEC-09. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref>

Corvid ingenuity is represented through their feeding skills, memorization abilities, use of tools, and group behaviour. Living in large social groups has long been connected with high cognitive ability. To live in a large group, a member must be able to recognize individuals and track the social position and foraging of other members over time. Members must also be able to distinguish between sex, age, reproductive status, and dominance, and to update this information constantly. Therefore, social complexity directly corresponds to high cognition.<ref>Bond ''et al''. (2003)</ref>

There are also specific examples of corvid cleverness. One [[Carrion Crow]] was documented to crack nuts by placing them on a crosswalk, letting the passing cars crack the shell, waiting for the light to turn red, and then safely retrieving the contents.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKO-QMyLc4&NR]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}} A group of crows in England took turns lifting garbage bin lids while their companions collected food.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

Members of the corvid family have been known to watch other birds, remember where they hide their food, then return once the owner leaves. Corvids also move their food around between hiding places to avoid thievery, but only if they have previously been thieves themselves. The ability to hide food requires highly accurate spatial memories. Corvids have been recorded to recall their food's hiding place up to nine months later. It is suggested that vertical landmarks (like trees) are used to remember locations. There has also been evidence that [[Western Scrub-Jay]]s, which store perishable foods, not only remember where they stored their food, but for how long. This has been compared to episodic memory, previously thought unique to humans.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

Looking at the act of thievery in the corvid family, some species will take their experience as a thief and use it to predict other bird actions of thievery. This explains why, if a corvid has committed thievery, they will take extra precautions (such as moving hiding places) to avoid being a future victim. Being able to predict others' behaviour based on one's own experiences is another trait previously thought unique to humans. Laboratory experiments have confirmed that crows in particular can sometimes use a past experience to approach a new obstacle.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[New Caledonian Crow]]s (''Corvus moneduloides'') are famous for their highly developed tool fabrication. They make angling tools of twigs and leaves trimmed into hooks. They then use the hooks to pull insect larvae from tree holes. Tools are engineered according to task and apparently also to learned preference. Other corvids that have been observed using tools include the [[American Crow]], [[Blue Jay]] and [[Green Jay]]. Diversity in tool design among corvids suggests cultural variation. Again, great apes are the only other non-human animals known to use tools in such a fashion.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[Clark's Nutcracker]]s and [[Jackdaw]]s were compared in a 2002 study based on geometric rule learning. The corvids, along with a [[domestic pigeon]], had to locate a target between two landmarks, while distances and landmarks were altered. The nutcrackers were more accurate in their searches than the jackdaws and pigeons.<ref>Jones ''et al''. (2002)</ref>

The [[scarecrow]] is an archetypal scare tactic in the agricultural business. However, due to corvids' quick wit, scarecrows are soon ignored and used as perches. Despite farmers' efforts to rid themselves of corvid pests, their attempts have only expanded corvid territories and strengthened their numbers.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Current [[systematics]] places corvids, based on their evolutionary characters, in the lower middle of the passerines, contrary to earlier [[teleological]] classifications as "highest" songbirds due to their intelligence.<ref name = j&f2006 /> As per one observer,
<blockquote>"During the 19th century there arose the belief that these were the 'most advanced' birds, based upon the belief that Darwinian evolution brings 'progress'. In such a classification the 'most intelligent' of birds were listed last reflecting their position 'atop the pyramid'. Modern biologists reject the concept of hierarchical 'progress' in evolution [...]."<ref name = robertson2000 /></blockquote>

The other major group of highly intelligent birds, [[parrot]]s and [[cockatoo]]s, is not closely related to corvids.

==Relationship with humans==
===Role in myth and culture===
{{Expand-section|date=November 2007}}
{{Seealso|Cultural depictions of ravens|Raven in mythology}}
Folklore often represents corvids as clever, and even mystical, animals. Some Native Americans, such as the [[Haida]], believed that a raven created the earth and despite being a trickster spirit, ravens were popular on totems, credited with creating man, and responsible for placing the Sun in the sky.

Various [[Germanic peoples]] highly revered the raven. The major deity [[Odin]] was so associated with ravens throughout history that he gained the [[kenning]] "raven god"<ref>E.g. [[Icelandic (language)|Icelandic]]: ''hrafnaguð'', as per the ''[[Gylfaginning]]''.</ref> and the [[raven banner]] was the flag of various [[Viking Age]] Scandinavian chieftains. He was also attended by [[Hugin and Munin]], two [[Common Raven|ravens]] who whispered news into his ears.<ref>Chappell J (2006)</ref> The [[Valravn]] sometimes appears in modern Scandinavian folklore.

The 6th century BC [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] scribe [[Aesop]] featured corvids as intelligent antagonists in many fables. Later, in western literature, popularized by [[United States|American]] poet [[Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe's]] work "[[The Raven]]", the [[Common Raven]] becomes a symbol of the main character's descent into madness.

===Status and conservation===
[[Image:Corvus hawaiiensis FWS.jpg|thumb|The [[Hawaiian Crow]] is [[extinct in the wild]] due to [[habitat loss]] and other factors.]]
Unlike many other bird [[family (biology)|families]], corvid [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] and reproduction, especially with many crows, has increased due to human development. The survival and reproductive success of certain crows and ravens is assisted by their close relationship with humans.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Human development provides additional resources by clearing land, creating shrublands rich in berries and insects. When the cleared land naturally replenishes, jays and crows use the young dense trees for nesting sites. Ravens typically use larger trees in denser forests.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Despite the fact that most corvids are not threatened (many even increasing due to human activity) a few species are in danger. For example, the destruction of the Southeast Asian rainforests is endangering [[mixed-species feeding flock]]s with members from the family Corvidae.<ref>Lee ''et al''. (2005)</ref> Also, since its [[semiarid]] scrubland [[habitat]] is an endangered [[ecosystem]], the [[Florida Scrub-jay]] has a small and declining population.<ref>BirdLife International (2004), Breiniger ''et al''. (2006)</ref> A number of island species, which are more vulnerable to [[introduced species]] and habitat loss, have been driven to extinction, such as the [[New Zealand Raven]], or are threatened, like the [[Mariana Crow]].

In the USA the [[American Crow]] population has definitely grown over the years. It is possible that the American Crow, due to humans increasing suitable habitat, will drive out [[Northwestern Crow|Northwestern]] and [[Fish Crow]]s.<ref>Marzluff & Angell (2005)</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Citations==
* {{aut|Berg, Elena C.}} (2005): Parentage and reproductive success in the white-throated magpie-jay, ''Calocitta formosa'', a cooperative breeder with female helpers. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''70'''(2): 375-385. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.11.008}} (HTML abstract)
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|[[BirdLife International]]}}|year=2004|id=40320|title=Aphelocoma coerulescens|downloaded=11 May 2006}}
* {{aut|Breininger, D.R.; Toland, B.; Oddy, D.M. & Legare, M.L.}} (2006): Landcover characterizations and Florida scrub-jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') population dynamics. ''Biological Conservation'' '''128'''(2): 169-181. {{doi|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.09.026}} [http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/research/scrubjay-landcover.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Bond, Alan B.; Kamil, Alan C. & Balda, Russell P.}} (2003): Social complexity and transitive inference in corvids. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''65'''(3): 479-487. {{DOI|10.1006/anbe.2003.2101}} [http://www.biosci.unl.edu/avcog/research/articles/AnBeh03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Chappell J}} (2006): [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1326277 Living with the Trickster: Crows, Ravens, and Human Culture.] ''PLoS Biol'' '''4''' (1):e14. {{DOI|10.1371/journal.pbio.0040014}}
* {{aut|Clayton, Nicola & Emery, Nathan}} (2005): Corvid cognition. ''Current Biology'' '''15'''(3): R80-R81. [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VRT-4FF20DD-6-3&_cdi=6243&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=02%2F08%2F2005&_qd=1&_sk=999849996&view=c&_alid=439049039&_rdoc=1&wchp=dGLbVlz-zSkzk&md5=ccdfc28018ed50f5153c001b9cd77b10&ie=/sdarticle.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Emery, Nathan & Clayton, Nicola}} (2004): The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes. ''Science'' '''306'''(5703): 1903 - 1907 {{DOI|10.1126/science.1098410}}
* {{aut|Ericson, Per G.P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan}} (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''[[Journal of Avian Biology|J. Avian Biol.]]'' '''36''': 222-234. {{doi|10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x}} [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}}
* {{aut|Gill, F.B.}} (2003) ''Ornithology'' (2nd edition). W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. ISBN 0-7167-2415-4
* {{aut|Goodwin, D.}} (1986) ''Crows of the world''. (2nd edition). British Museum of Natural History. ISBN 0-565-00979-6
* {{aut|James, Helen F.; Ericson, Per G.P.; Slikas, Beth; Lei, Fu-min & [[Storrs Olson|Olson, Storrs L.]]}} (2003): ''Pseudopodoces humilis'', a misclassified terrestrial tit (Aves: Paridae) of the Tibetan Plateau: evolutionary consequences of shifting adaptive zones. ''[[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]]'' '''145'''(2): 185–202. {{doi|10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00170.x}} [http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/1758/1/Pseudopodoces.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Jones, Juli E,; Antoniadis, Elena; Shettleworth, Sara J. & Kamil, Alan C.}} (2002): A Comparative Study of Geometric Rule Learning by Nutcrackers (''Nucifraga columbiana''), Pigeons (''Columba livia''), and Jackdaws (''Corvus monedula''). ''Journal of Comparative Psychology'' '''116'''(4): 350-356. [http://content.apa.org/journals/com/116/4/350 HTML abstract]
* {{aut|Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon}} (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). ''[[Zoologica Scripta|Zool. Scripta]]'' '''35'''(2): 149–186. {{doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Krushinskiy, L.V.; Zorina, Z.A. & Dashevskiy, B.A.}} (1979): [Ability of birds of the Corvidae family to operate by the empirical dimensions of figures]. ''Zhurnal vysshe nervno deiatelnosti imeni IP Pavlova'' '''29'''(3): 590-597. [Article in Russian] PMID 112801 (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Li, Shou-Hsien & Brown, Jerram L.}} (2000): High frequency of extrapair fertilization in a plural breeding bird, the Mexican jay, revealed by DNA microsatellites. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''60'''(6): 867-877 {{doi|10.1006/anbe.2000.1554}}
* {{aut|Lee, T.M.; Soh, M.C.K.; Sodhi, N.; Koh, L.P. & Lim, S.L.H.}} (2005): Effects of habitat disturbance on mixed species bird flocks in a tropical sub-montane rainforest. ''Biological Conservation'' '''122'''(2): 193-204. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2004.07.005}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Madge, S. & Burn, H.}} (1993): ''Crows and Jays''. Helm. ISBN 1-873403-18-6
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Angell, T.}} (2005): ''In the Company of Crows and Ravens''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. ISBN 0-300-10076-0
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Neatherlin, Eric}} (2006): Corvid response to human settlements and campgrounds: Causes, consequences, and challenges for conservation. ''Biological Conservation'' '''130'''(2): 301-314. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.026}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Patterson, I. J., Dunnet, G. M., & Fordham, R. A.}} (1971): Ecological studies of the Rook ''Corvus frugilegus'' L. in northeast Scotland. Dispersion. ''J. Appl. Ecol''. 8: 815-833.
* {{aut|Perrins, Christopher (2003)}}: ''The New Encyclopedia of Birds'' Oxford University Press: Oxford ISBN 0-19-852506-0
* {{aut|Robertson, Don}} (2000): Bird Families of the World: [http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/corvids.html Corvidae]. Created 2000-JAN-30. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.
* {{aut|[[Charles Sibley|Sibley, Charles Gald]] & [[Jon Edward Ahlquist|Ahlquist, Jon Edward]]}} ([1991]): ''Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution''. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0-300-04085-7
* {{aut|Verhulst, Sion & Salomons, H. Martijn}} (2004): Why fight? Socially dominant jackdaws, ''Corvus monedula'', have low fitness. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''68''': 777-783. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.020}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|[[Alexander Wetmore|Wetmore, Alexander]]}} (1937): The Eared Grebe and other Birds from the Pliocene of Kansas. ''[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]'' '''39'''(1): 40. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v039n01/p0040-p0040.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/DJVU/v039n01/P0040-P0040.djvu DjVu fulltext]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Corvidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://www.corvids.de corvids.de - Corvids-Literature-Database]
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?query=corvidae Corvidae sounds] on xeno-canto.org

[[Category:Corvidae|*]]
[[Category:bird families]]

[[an:Corvidae]]
[[bg:Вранови]]
[[ca:Còrvid]]
[[cs:Krkavcovití]]
[[da:Kragefugle]]
[[de:Rabenvögel]]
[[es:Corvidae]]
[[eo:Korvedoj]]
[[fr:Corvidae (Sibley)]]
[[ko:까마귀과]]
[[it:Corvidae]]
[[he:עורביים]]
[[la:Corvidae]]
[[lt:Varniniai]]
[[li:Krejechtege]]
[[hu:Varjúfélék]]
[[nl:Kraaiachtigen]]
[[ja:カラス科]]
[[no:Kråkefugler]]
[[nn:Kråkefamilien]]
[[oc:Corvini]]
[[pl:Krukowate]]
[[pt:Corvidae]]
[[ru:Врановые]]
[[scn:Corvidae]]
[[sk:Krkavcovité]]
[[sl:Vrani]]
[[fi:Varikset]]
[[sv:Kråkfåglar]]
[[vi:Họ Quạ]]
[[tr:Kargagiller]]
[[zh:鸦科]]

Corvidae

2008-08-19T02:55:06Z

76.202.197.92: "the crow family"

{{Taxobox
| name = Corvidae
| fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]] to Recent
| image = Cyanocitta-cristata-004.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = [[Blue Jay]] ''Cyanocitta cristata''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neoaves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| subordo = [[Passeri]]
| infraordo = [[Corvida]]
| superfamilia = [[Corvoidea]]
| familia = '''Corvidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision = see text
| range_map = Corvidae.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| range_map_caption =
Distribution map of the Corvidae.
<div style="text-align:left;"><big>{{Legend2|#00BE30|Native|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#F3F300|Introduced|border=1px solid #aaa}}; {{Legend2|#0800E7|Extinct|border=1px solid #aaa}}</big></div>
}}

'''Corvidae''' is a [[Cosmopolitan distribution|cosmopolitan]] [[family (biology)|family]] of [[oscine]] [[passerine]] [[bird]]s that contains the [[crow]]s, [[raven]]s, [[rook (bird)|rook]]s, [[jackdaw]]s, [[jay]]s, [[magpie]]s, [[treepie]]s, [[Pyrrhocorax|choughs]] and [[nutcracker (bird)|nutcrackers]].<ref name=madge>Madge & Burn (1993)</ref><ref>Robertson (2000), Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The common English name used is '''corvids''' (more technically) or the crow family (more informally), and there are over 120 species. The genus ''Corvus'', including the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family.

They are medium to large birds with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single [[moult]] each year (most passerines moult twice).

Corvids are found worldwide except for the tip of [[South America]] and the polar ice caps.<ref name = claytonemery2005>Clayton & Emery (2005)</ref> The majority of the species are found in tropical South and [[Central America]], southern [[Asia]] and [[Eurasia]], with fewer than 10 species each in [[Africa]], [[Australasia]] and [[North America]]. The genus ''Corvus'' has re-entered [[Australia]] in relatively recent geological prehistory, with five species and one subspecies there (see [[crow]]s).

== Systematics, taxonomy and evolution ==
[[Image:Rufous Treepie I IMG 9850.jpg|thumb|right|[[Rufous Treepie]], ''Dendrocitta vagabunda'']]
[[Image:Yellow-billed Blue Magpie I IMG 7393.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris'']]
[[Image:Orvani (1).JPG|thumb|right|[[Eurasian Jay]] (''Garrulus glandarius''), Israel]]
[[Image:Elster wikipedia2.jpg|thumb|right|[[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica'']]
[[Image:Plush-crested Jay.jpg|thumb|right|[[Plush-crested Jay]], ''Cyanocorax chrysops'']]

Over the years there has been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid family and their relatives. What eventually seemed clear was that corvids are derived from [[Australasia]]n ancestors and from there spread throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. [[Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy|Sibley and Ahlquist]] united the corvids with other taxa in the [[Corvida]]. The presumed corvid relatives included [[currawong]]s, [[birds of paradise]], [[whipbird]]s, [[quail-thrush]]es, [[Pachycephalidae|whistlers]], [[monarch flycatcher]]s and [[drongo]]s, [[shrike]]s, [[vireo]]s and [[vanga]]s,<ref name = robertson2000>Robertson (2000)</ref> but current research favors the theory that this grouping is partly artificial. The corvids constitute the core group of the [[Corvoidea]], together with their closest relatives (the birds of paradise, [[Australian mud-nesters]] and shrikes). They are also the core group of the Corvida, which includes the related groups, such as [[oriole]]s and vireos.<ref name = j&f2006>Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref>

Clarification of the interrelationships of the corvids has been achieved based on [[cladistic]] analysis of several [[DNA sequence]]s.<ref>Ericson ''et al''. (2005), Jønsson & Fjeldså (2006)</ref> The jays and magpies do not constitute [[monophyletic]] lineages, but rather seem to split up into an [[Americas|American]] and [[Old World]] lineage, and an [[Holarctic]] and Oriental lineage, respectively. These are not closely related among each other. The position of the [[Azure-winged Magpie]], which has always been a major enigma, is even more unclear than it was before.

* '''Choughs'''
** ''[[Pyrrhocorax]]'' (2 species)
* '''[[Treepie]]s'''
** ''[[Dendrocitta]]'' (7 species)
** ''[[Crypsirina]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Temnurus]]'' - Ratchet-tailed Treepie
** ''[[Platysmurus]]'' - Black Magpie
* '''Oriental [[magpie]]s'''
** ''[[Urocissa]]'' (5 species)
** ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]'' (3 species)
* '''Old World [[jays]] and [[ground jay]]s'''
** ''[[Garrulus]]'' (3 species)
** ''[[Podoces]]'' (4 species)
** ''[[Ptilostomus]]'' - Piapiac
* '''[[Stresemann's Bush Crow]]''', ''Zavattariornis stresemanni''
* '''Nutcrackers'''
** ''[[Nucifraga]]'' (2 species)
* '''Holarctic magpies'''
** ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]'' (3-4 species)
* '''The True Crows ([[Crow (animal)|Crows]], [[Raven|ravens]] and [[Jackdaw|jackdaws]])'''
** ''[[Corvus (biology)|Corvus]]'' (some 43-45 species, 1 possibly recently [[extinct]], 1 [[extinct in the wild]])
* '''[[Azure-winged Magpie]]''', ''Cyanopica cyana'' (possibly 2 species)
* '''Grey jays'''
** ''[[Perisoreus]]'' (3 species)
* '''New World jays'''
** ''[[Aphelocoma]]'' - scrub-jays (5-6 species)
** ''[[Calocitta]]'' - magpie-jays (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocitta]]'' (2 species)
** ''[[Cyanocorax]]'' (17-18 species)
** ''[[Cyanolyca]]'' (9 species, tentatively placed here)
** ''[[Gymnorhinus]]'' - Pinyon Jay

The [[Crested Jay]] (''Platylophus galericulatus'') is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but might not be a true member of this family, possibly being closer to the [[Prionops|helmet-shrikes]] ([[Malaconotidae]]) or [[shrike]]s ([[Laniidae]]); it is best considered [[Corvoidea]] ''[[incertae sedis]]'' for the time being.<ref name=madge/><ref name=goodwin>Goodwin (1986)</ref> Likewise, the [[Hume's Ground Tit|Hume's Ground "Jay"]] (''Pseudopodoces humilis'') is in fact a member of the tit family [[tit (bird)|Paridae]].<ref>James ''et al''. (2005)</ref>

===Fossil record===
The earliest corvid [[fossil]]s date to the mid-[[Miocene]], about 17 million years ago; ''[[Miocorvus]]'' and ''[[Miopica]]'' may be ancestral to crows and some of the magpie lineage, respectively, or similar to the living forms due to [[convergent evolution]]. The known prehistoric corvid genera appear to be mainly of the New World and Old World jay and Holarctic magpie lineages:

* ''[[Miocorvus]]'' (Middle Miocene of Sansan, France)
* ''[[Miopica]]'' (Middle Miocene of SW Ukraine)
* ''[[Miocitta]]'' (Pawnee Creek Late Miocene of Logan County, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Edson Early Pliocene of Sherman County, USA)<ref>[[Proximal]] right [[coracoid]] of a jay-sized bird, perhaps an Holarctic magpie distinct from ''Pica'': Wetmore (1937)</ref>
* ''[[Protocitta]]'' (Early Pleistocene of Reddick, USA)
* Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Early/Middle Pleistocene of Sicily) - probably belongs into extant genus
* ''[[Henocitta]]'' (Arredondo Clay Middle Pleistocene of Williston, USA)

In addition, there are numerous fossil species of extant genera since the [[Miocene|Mio]]-[[Pliocene]], mainly European ''Corvus''.<ref>See the genus accounts for more.</ref>

==Biology ==
===Morphology===
Corvids are large to very large [[passerine]]s with a robust build, strong legs and all species except the [[Pinyon Jay]] have [[nostril]]s covered by bristle-like feathers.<ref name = Perrins>Perrins 2003</ref> Many corvids of temperate zones have mainly black or blue coloured [[plumage]]; however, some are pied black and white, some have a blue-purple iridescence and many tropical species are brightly coloured. The sexes are very similar in color and size. Corvids have strong, stout bills and large wingspans. The family includes the largest members of the [[passerine]] order.

The smallest corvid is the [[Dwarf Jay]] (''Aphelocoma nana''), at 40 g (1.4 oz) and 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). The largest corvids are the [[Common Raven]] (''Corvus corax'') and the [[Thick-billed Raven]] (''Corvus crassirostris''), both of which regularly exceed 1400 grams (3 lbs) and 65 cm (26 inches).

Species can be identified based on size, shape, and geography; however, some, especially the Australian crows, are best identified by their raucous calls.<ref name = robertson2000 />

===Ecology===
Corvids occur in most climatic zones. Most are sedentary and do not [[bird migration|migrate]] significantly. However, during a shortage of food, eruptive migration can occur.<ref name = robertson2000 /> When species are migratory, they will form large flocks in the fall (around August in the [[northern hemisphere]]) and travel south.<ref name = shadesfonight />

One reason for the success of crows, compared to ravens, is their ability to overlap breeding territory. During breeding season, crows were shown to overlap breeding territory six times as much as ravens. This invasion of breeding ranges allowed a related increase in local population density.<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Food and feeding===
[[Image:Raven scavenging on a dead shark.jpg|thumb|right|Corvids are highly opportunistic foragers. Here a [[Jungle Crow]] feeds on a shark carcass.]]
The natural diet of many corvid species is omnivorous, consisting of [[invertebrate]]s, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and [[carrion]]. However, some corvids, especially the crows, have adapted well to human conditions and have come to rely on anthropogenic foods. In a US study of [[American Crow]]s, [[Common Raven]]s and [[Steller's Jay]]s around campgrounds and human settlements, the crows appeared to have the most diverse diet of all, taking anthropogenic foods such as bread, spaghetti, fried potatoes, dog food, sandwiches, and livestock feed. The increase in available anthropogenic food sources is contributing to population increase in some corvid species.<ref name = m&n2006>Marzluff & Neatherlin (2006)</ref>.

Some corvids are predators of other birds. During the wintering months, corvids typically form foraging flocks.<ref name = robertson2000 /> However, some crows also eat many agricultural pests including cutworms, wireworms, grasshoppers, and harmful weeds<ref name = shadesfonight>Shades of Night: [http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/ The Aviary]. Version of 2004-JUL-21. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> Some corvids will eat carrion, and since they lack a specialized beak for tearing into flesh, they must wait until animals are opened, whether by other predators or as roadkill.

Since crows do not seem to mind human development, it was suggested that the crow population increase would cause increased rates of nest predation. However, Steller's Jays, which are successful independently of human development, are more efficient in plundering small birds' nests than [[American Crow]]s and [[Common Raven]]s. Therefore, the human relationship with crows and ravens did not significantly increase nest predation, compared to other factors such as [[habitat destruction]].<ref name = m&n2006 />

===Reproduction===
[[Image:Perisoreus canadensis feeding at nest.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Gray Jay]] pair feeding their chicks. ]]
Many species of corvid are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], protecting territories throughout the year or simply during the breeding season. In some cases territories may only be guarded during the day, with the pair joining off-territory roosts at night. Some corvids are well known communal roosters. Some groups of roosting corvids can be very large, with a roost of 65,000 [[Rook (bird)|Rooks]] counted in Scotland.<ref>Patterson ''et al''. (1971)</ref> Some, including the Rook and the [[Jackdaw]], are also communal nesters.

The partner bond in corvids is extremely strong and even lifelong in some species. This monogamous lifestyle, however, can still contain extra-pair copulations.<ref>Li & Brown (2000)</ref> Males and females build large nests together in trees or on ledges. The male will also feed the female during incubation.<ref>[[Encyclopedia Britannica Online]]: [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026450 Corvidae]. Free subscription required.</ref> The nests are constructed of a mass of bulky twigs lined with grass and bark. Corvids can lay between 3 and 10 eggs, typically ranging between 4 and 7. The eggs are usually greenish in colour with brown blotches. Once hatched, the young remain in the nests for up to 6-10 weeks depending on the species. Corvids provide biparental care.

Jackdaws can breed in buildings or in rabbit warrens.<ref name = v&s2004>Verhulst & Salomons (2004)</ref> [[White-throated Magpie-jay]]s are cooperatively breeding corvids where the helpers are mostly female. [[Cooperative breeding]] takes place when additional adults help raise the nestlings. Such [[helpers at the nest]] in most cooperatively breeding birds are males, while females join other groups.<ref>Berg (2005)</ref>

===Social life ===
Some corvids have strong organization and community groups. Jackdaws, for example, have a strong social hierarchy, and are facultatively colonial during breeding.<ref name = v&s2004/> Providing mutual aid has also been recorded within many of the corvid species.

Young corvids have been known to play and take part in elaborate social [[game]]s. Documented group games follow a "king of the mountain"- and "follow the leader"-type pattern. Other [[Play (activity)|play]] involves the manipulation, passing, and balancing of sticks. Corvids also take part in other activities, such as sliding down smooth surfaces. These games are understood to play a large role in the adaptive and survival ability of the birds.<ref>Gill (2003)</ref>

Mate selection is quite complex and accompanied with much social play in the Corvidae. Youngsters of social corvid species undergo a series of tests, including aerobatic feats, before being accepted as a mate by the opposite sex.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Some corvids can be aggressive. [[Blue Jay]]s, for example, are well known to attack anything that threatens their nest. Crows have been known to attack dogs, cats, ravens, and birds of prey. Most of the time these assaults take place as a distraction long enough to allow an opportunity for stealing food.<ref name = shadesfonight />

===Intelligence ===
{{seealso|Avian intelligence}}
Based on the brain-to-body ratio of animals over 1 kilogram, corvid brains are among the largest in birds, equal to that of [[great ape]]s and [[cetacean]]s, and only slightly lower than a human.<ref>Birding in India and South Asia: [http://www.birding.in/birds/Passeriformes/corvidae.htm Corvidae]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10</ref> Their intelligence is boosted by the long growing period of the young. By remaining with the parents, the young have more opportunities to learn necessary skills. Since most corvids are cooperative brooders, their young can learn from different members of the group.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

When compared to dogs and cats in an experiment testing the ability to seek out food according to three-dimensional clues, corvids out-performed the mammals.<ref>Krushinskii ''et al''. (1979)</ref> A [[metaanalysis]] testing how often birds invented new ways to acquire food in the wild found corvids the most innovative birds.<ref>[[BBC Online]]: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4286965.stm Crows and jays top bird IQ scale]. Version of 2005-FEB-25- Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref> A 2004 review suggests that their cognitive abilities are on par with those of great apes.<ref>Emery & Clayton 2004)</ref> Despite structural differences, the brains of corvids and great apes both evolved the ability to make geometrical measurements. Some corvids demonstrate the capacity for imagination, something believed to be otherwise unique to humans. For example, they remember previous relevant social contexts, use their own experience of having been a thief to predict the behavior of a pilferer, and can determine the safest course to protect the caches from pilfering. Studies to assess similar cognitive abilities in apes have been inconclusive.<ref>James Owen: [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_crows_apes.html Crows as Clever as Great Apes, Study Says]. ''[[National Geographic News]]'', 2004-DEC-09. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.</ref>

Corvid ingenuity is represented through their feeding skills, memorization abilities, use of tools, and group behaviour. Living in large social groups has long been connected with high cognitive ability. To live in a large group, a member must be able to recognize individuals and track the social position and foraging of other members over time. Members must also be able to distinguish between sex, age, reproductive status, and dominance, and to update this information constantly. Therefore, social complexity directly corresponds to high cognition.<ref>Bond ''et al''. (2003)</ref>

There are also specific examples of corvid cleverness. One [[Carrion Crow]] was documented to crack nuts by placing them on a crosswalk, letting the passing cars crack the shell, waiting for the light to turn red, and then safely retrieving the contents.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKO-QMyLc4&NR]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}} A group of crows in England took turns lifting garbage bin lids while their companions collected food.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

Members of the corvid family have been known to watch other birds, remember where they hide their food, then return once the owner leaves. Corvids also move their food around between hiding places to avoid thievery, but only if they have previously been thieves themselves. The ability to hide food requires highly accurate spatial memories. Corvids have been recorded to recall their food's hiding place up to nine months later. It is suggested that vertical landmarks (like trees) are used to remember locations. There has also been evidence that [[Western Scrub-Jay]]s, which store perishable foods, not only remember where they stored their food, but for how long. This has been compared to episodic memory, previously thought unique to humans.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

Looking at the act of thievery in the corvid family, some species will take their experience as a thief and use it to predict other bird actions of thievery. This explains why, if a corvid has committed thievery, they will take extra precautions (such as moving hiding places) to avoid being a future victim. Being able to predict others' behaviour based on one's own experiences is another trait previously thought unique to humans. Laboratory experiments have confirmed that crows in particular can sometimes use a past experience to approach a new obstacle.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[New Caledonian Crow]]s (''Corvus moneduloides'') are famous for their highly developed tool fabrication. They make angling tools of twigs and leaves trimmed into hooks. They then use the hooks to pull insect larvae from tree holes. Tools are engineered according to task and apparently also to learned preference. Other corvids that have been observed using tools include the [[American Crow]], [[Blue Jay]] and [[Green Jay]]. Diversity in tool design among corvids suggests cultural variation. Again, great apes are the only other non-human animals known to use tools in such a fashion.<ref name = claytonemery2005 />

[[Clark's Nutcracker]]s and [[Jackdaw]]s were compared in a 2002 study based on geometric rule learning. The corvids, along with a [[domestic pigeon]], had to locate a target between two landmarks, while distances and landmarks were altered. The nutcrackers were more accurate in their searches than the jackdaws and pigeons.<ref>Jones ''et al''. (2002)</ref>

The [[scarecrow]] is an archetypal scare tactic in the agricultural business. However, due to corvids' quick wit, scarecrows are soon ignored and used as perches. Despite farmers' efforts to rid themselves of corvid pests, their attempts have only expanded corvid territories and strengthened their numbers.<ref name = shadesfonight />

Current [[systematics]] places corvids, based on their evolutionary characters, in the lower middle of the passerines, contrary to earlier [[teleological]] classifications as "highest" songbirds due to their intelligence.<ref name = j&f2006 /> As per one observer,
<blockquote>"During the 19th century there arose the belief that these were the 'most advanced' birds, based upon the belief that Darwinian evolution brings 'progress'. In such a classification the 'most intelligent' of birds were listed last reflecting their position 'atop the pyramid'. Modern biologists reject the concept of hierarchical 'progress' in evolution [...]."<ref name = robertson2000 /></blockquote>

The other major group of highly intelligent birds, [[parrot]]s and [[cockatoo]]s, is not closely related to corvids.

==Relationship with humans==
===Role in myth and culture===
{{Expand-section|date=November 2007}}
{{Seealso|Cultural depictions of ravens|Raven in mythology}}
Folklore often represents corvids as clever, and even mystical, animals. Some Native Americans, such as the [[Haida]], believed that a raven created the earth and despite being a trickster spirit, ravens were popular on totems, credited with creating man, and responsible for placing the Sun in the sky.

Various [[Germanic peoples]] highly revered the raven. The major deity [[Odin]] was so associated with ravens throughout history that he gained the [[kenning]] "raven god"<ref>E.g. [[Icelandic (language)|Icelandic]]: ''hrafnaguð'', as per the ''[[Gylfaginning]]''.</ref> and the [[raven banner]] was the flag of various [[Viking Age]] Scandinavian chieftains. He was also attended by [[Hugin and Munin]], two [[Common Raven|ravens]] who whispered news into his ears.<ref>Chappell J (2006)</ref> The [[Valravn]] sometimes appears in modern Scandinavian folklore.

The 6th century BC [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] scribe [[Aesop]] featured corvids as intelligent antagonists in many fables. Later, in western literature, popularized by [[United States|American]] poet [[Edgar Allan Poe|Edgar Allan Poe's]] work "[[The Raven]]", the [[Common Raven]] becomes a symbol of the main character's descent into madness.

===Status and conservation===
[[Image:Corvus hawaiiensis FWS.jpg|thumb|The [[Hawaiian Crow]] is [[extinct in the wild]] due to [[habitat loss]] and other factors.]]
Unlike many other bird [[family (biology)|families]], corvid [[fitness (biology)|fitness]] and reproduction, especially with many crows, has increased due to human development. The survival and reproductive success of certain crows and ravens is assisted by their close relationship with humans.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Human development provides additional resources by clearing land, creating shrublands rich in berries and insects. When the cleared land naturally replenishes, jays and crows use the young dense trees for nesting sites. Ravens typically use larger trees in denser forests.<ref name = m&n2006 />

Despite the fact that most corvids are not threatened (many even increasing due to human activity) a few species are in danger. For example, the destruction of the Southeast Asian rainforests is endangering [[mixed-species feeding flock]]s with members from the family Corvidae.<ref>Lee ''et al''. (2005)</ref> Also, since its [[semiarid]] scrubland [[habitat]] is an endangered [[ecosystem]], the [[Florida Scrub-jay]] has a small and declining population.<ref>BirdLife International (2004), Breiniger ''et al''. (2006)</ref> A number of island species, which are more vulnerable to [[introduced species]] and habitat loss, have been driven to extinction, such as the [[New Zealand Raven]], or are threatened, like the [[Mariana Crow]].

In the USA the [[American Crow]] population has definitely grown over the years. It is possible that the American Crow, due to humans increasing suitable habitat, will drive out [[Northwestern Crow|Northwestern]] and [[Fish Crow]]s.<ref>Marzluff & Angell (2005)</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Citations==
* {{aut|Berg, Elena C.}} (2005): Parentage and reproductive success in the white-throated magpie-jay, ''Calocitta formosa'', a cooperative breeder with female helpers. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''70'''(2): 375-385. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.11.008}} (HTML abstract)
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|[[BirdLife International]]}}|year=2004|id=40320|title=Aphelocoma coerulescens|downloaded=11 May 2006}}
* {{aut|Breininger, D.R.; Toland, B.; Oddy, D.M. & Legare, M.L.}} (2006): Landcover characterizations and Florida scrub-jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') population dynamics. ''Biological Conservation'' '''128'''(2): 169-181. {{doi|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.09.026}} [http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/research/scrubjay-landcover.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Bond, Alan B.; Kamil, Alan C. & Balda, Russell P.}} (2003): Social complexity and transitive inference in corvids. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''65'''(3): 479-487. {{DOI|10.1006/anbe.2003.2101}} [http://www.biosci.unl.edu/avcog/research/articles/AnBeh03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Chappell J}} (2006): [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1326277 Living with the Trickster: Crows, Ravens, and Human Culture.] ''PLoS Biol'' '''4''' (1):e14. {{DOI|10.1371/journal.pbio.0040014}}
* {{aut|Clayton, Nicola & Emery, Nathan}} (2005): Corvid cognition. ''Current Biology'' '''15'''(3): R80-R81. [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VRT-4FF20DD-6-3&_cdi=6243&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=02%2F08%2F2005&_qd=1&_sk=999849996&view=c&_alid=439049039&_rdoc=1&wchp=dGLbVlz-zSkzk&md5=ccdfc28018ed50f5153c001b9cd77b10&ie=/sdarticle.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Emery, Nathan & Clayton, Nicola}} (2004): The Mentality of Crows: Convergent Evolution of Intelligence in Corvids and Apes. ''Science'' '''306'''(5703): 1903 - 1907 {{DOI|10.1126/science.1098410}}
* {{aut|Ericson, Per G.P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan}} (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''[[Journal of Avian Biology|J. Avian Biol.]]'' '''36''': 222-234. {{doi|10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x}} [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]{{Verify source|date=November 2007}}
* {{aut|Gill, F.B.}} (2003) ''Ornithology'' (2nd edition). W.H. Freeman and Company, New York. ISBN 0-7167-2415-4
* {{aut|Goodwin, D.}} (1986) ''Crows of the world''. (2nd edition). British Museum of Natural History. ISBN 0-565-00979-6
* {{aut|James, Helen F.; Ericson, Per G.P.; Slikas, Beth; Lei, Fu-min & [[Storrs Olson|Olson, Storrs L.]]}} (2003): ''Pseudopodoces humilis'', a misclassified terrestrial tit (Aves: Paridae) of the Tibetan Plateau: evolutionary consequences of shifting adaptive zones. ''[[Ibis (journal)|Ibis]]'' '''145'''(2): 185–202. {{doi|10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00170.x}} [http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/1758/1/Pseudopodoces.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{aut|Jones, Juli E,; Antoniadis, Elena; Shettleworth, Sara J. & Kamil, Alan C.}} (2002): A Comparative Study of Geometric Rule Learning by Nutcrackers (''Nucifraga columbiana''), Pigeons (''Columba livia''), and Jackdaws (''Corvus monedula''). ''Journal of Comparative Psychology'' '''116'''(4): 350-356. [http://content.apa.org/journals/com/116/4/350 HTML abstract]
* {{aut|Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon}} (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). ''[[Zoologica Scripta|Zool. Scripta]]'' '''35'''(2): 149–186. {{doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Krushinskiy, L.V.; Zorina, Z.A. & Dashevskiy, B.A.}} (1979): [Ability of birds of the Corvidae family to operate by the empirical dimensions of figures]. ''Zhurnal vysshe nervno deiatelnosti imeni IP Pavlova'' '''29'''(3): 590-597. [Article in Russian] PMID 112801 (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Li, Shou-Hsien & Brown, Jerram L.}} (2000): High frequency of extrapair fertilization in a plural breeding bird, the Mexican jay, revealed by DNA microsatellites. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''60'''(6): 867-877 {{doi|10.1006/anbe.2000.1554}}
* {{aut|Lee, T.M.; Soh, M.C.K.; Sodhi, N.; Koh, L.P. & Lim, S.L.H.}} (2005): Effects of habitat disturbance on mixed species bird flocks in a tropical sub-montane rainforest. ''Biological Conservation'' '''122'''(2): 193-204. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2004.07.005}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Madge, S. & Burn, H.}} (1993): ''Crows and Jays''. Helm. ISBN 1-873403-18-6
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Angell, T.}} (2005): ''In the Company of Crows and Ravens''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut. ISBN 0-300-10076-0
* {{aut|Marzluff, John M. & Neatherlin, Eric}} (2006): Corvid response to human settlements and campgrounds: Causes, consequences, and challenges for conservation. ''Biological Conservation'' '''130'''(2): 301-314. {{DOI|10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.026}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|Patterson, I. J., Dunnet, G. M., & Fordham, R. A.}} (1971): Ecological studies of the Rook ''Corvus frugilegus'' L. in northeast Scotland. Dispersion. ''J. Appl. Ecol''. 8: 815-833.
* {{aut|Perrins, Christopher (2003)}}: ''The New Encyclopedia of Birds'' Oxford University Press: Oxford ISBN 0-19-852506-0
* {{aut|Robertson, Don}} (2000): Bird Families of the World: [http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/corvids.html Corvidae]. Created 2000-JAN-30. Retrieved 2007-NOV-10.
* {{aut|[[Charles Sibley|Sibley, Charles Gald]] & [[Jon Edward Ahlquist|Ahlquist, Jon Edward]]}} ([1991]): ''Phylogeny and Classification of Birds: A Study in Molecular Evolution''. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0-300-04085-7
* {{aut|Verhulst, Sion & Salomons, H. Martijn}} (2004): Why fight? Socially dominant jackdaws, ''Corvus monedula'', have low fitness. ''Animal Behaviour'' '''68''': 777-783. {{DOI|10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.12.020}} (HTML abstract)
* {{aut|[[Alexander Wetmore|Wetmore, Alexander]]}} (1937): The Eared Grebe and other Birds from the Pliocene of Kansas. ''[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]'' '''39'''(1): 40. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/issues/v039n01/p0040-p0040.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/files/DJVU/v039n01/P0040-P0040.djvu DjVu fulltext]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Corvidae videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://www.corvids.de corvids.de - Corvids-Literature-Database]
*[http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?query=corvidae Corvidae sounds] on xeno-canto.org

[[Category:Corvidae|*]]
[[Category:bird families]]

[[an:Corvidae]]
[[bg:Вранови]]
[[ca:Còrvid]]
[[cs:Krkavcovití]]
[[da:Kragefugle]]
[[de:Rabenvögel]]
[[es:Corvidae]]
[[eo:Korvedoj]]
[[fr:Corvidae (Sibley)]]
[[ko:까마귀과]]
[[it:Corvidae]]
[[he:עורביים]]
[[la:Corvidae]]
[[lt:Varniniai]]
[[li:Krejechtege]]
[[hu:Varjúfélék]]
[[nl:Kraaiachtigen]]
[[ja:カラス科]]
[[no:Kråkefugler]]
[[nn:Kråkefamilien]]
[[oc:Corvini]]
[[pl:Krukowate]]
[[pt:Corvidae]]
[[ru:Врановые]]
[[scn:Corvidae]]
[[sk:Krkavcovité]]
[[sl:Vrani]]
[[fi:Varikset]]
[[sv:Kråkfåglar]]
[[vi:Họ Quạ]]
[[tr:Kargagiller]]
[[zh:鸦科]]

Talk:Corvidae

2008-08-19T02:51:48Z

76.202.197.92: /* Range Map */ new section

{{BirdTalk|class=B|importance=High}}

I'm new (and also terribly vain), so I feel it only right to ask permission to create a page ''Corvine'' to redirect here. Is it unnecessary? I feel like I'm breaking the vanity page rules, even though it's just the meaning of my handle and no reflection on me. Feline redirects to Felidae, after all. [[User:Corvine|Corvine]] 19:08, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)

:You don't need anyone's permission, although ''corvine'' doesn't appear in my Chambers dictionary ... [[User:Jimfbleak|jimfbleak]] 06:28, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

::''Corvine'' sounds like a word in the vein of ''lupine'', ''canine'', ''vulpine'', and ''feline'' (wolf-like, dog-like, fox-like, and cat-like, respectively). Might not be in a dictionary, but so long as you know what sort of animal ''corvidae'' is, I think ''corvine'' would be apt to describe something that exhibits traits of crows/magpies/jays/etc. [[User:Jade Peat|Jade Peat]] 04:20, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

==Human Language Mimicry==

I have read in a book, now forgotten, that raven's (though possibly all corvids, i don't know) can mimic human language like parrots. I would add this to the section discussing their intelligence but I can't find the book now, and thus I can't cite it. Does anyone know about this?
--[[User:AdamFJohnson|AdamFJohnson]] 19:52, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
::Oops, the [[common raven]] page has a section on vocalization. I suppose I should have checked that first. Would that be appropriate to add?--[[User:AdamFJohnson|AdamFJohnson]] 19:55, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

==Crows and ravens==

I've edited this article extensively to try to reduce the no doubt unintentional bias towards NAm ''Corvus'' species. I can't help thinking that chunks of the article stil need to be moved to ''[[Corvus (genus)|Corvus]]'', [[American Crow]] or [[Common Raven]], since the emphasis on these groups distorts the whole article. [[User:Jimfbleak|jimfbleak]] 20:02, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

== Recently ==

''Recently the Corvus genus has re-entered Australia, resulting in five new species and one new subspecies'' - how recently? A week last Tuesday? Seems oddly colloquial. If ''recent'' has a specific meaning in Zoology that I'm not aware of, then my apologies. Otherwise, d'you think this would perhaps be better expressed as, ''In relatively recent evolutionary history ...'' or even better, ''Within the last XY,000 years ...''? [[User:194.80.54.155|194.80.54.155]] 11:45, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

==Not Cited Correctly==
''on a brain-to-body ratio, the corvid brain equals the size of a chimpanzee, is roughly the same as a dolphin, and is only slightly lower than a human [16].''
I'm new here too so I took me a couple of tries to get my input in.
I can't find any consistent or credible record of the brain to body weight ratio for Crows or any other Corvids. The statement is false in any case (expected for body size-chimp:3.5, man:7 )I've looked and found the ratio for Bottle Nose Dolphins to be 4.32, according to Lori Marino("Cetacean Brain Evolution: Multiplication Generates Complexity")[[User:Rooktje]] 04:41, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
*The statement (and its cited source) are ambiguous as to whether the measure is brain-to-body mass or brain-to-body volume. If the former, then it may be true since birds who fly have bodies with a low mass-to-volume ratio by necessity.

== Help identifying a bird ==

I'm currently on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca state, Mexico. The most common bird here looks like a relative of the crow but I've been unable to find out what it's called in English or Spanish. A local informant has told me they're called ''urraca'' but that means ''[[magpie]]'' and it doesn't match the pictures of anything I can find on the web under those terms.

The birds are quite smaller than crows and seem to mimic a wide range of other bird calls but have no sound like any crow I've heard. They are black with the males being very glossy which appears blue in the right sunlight. The females are dull and appear brown to almost yellow. They have a fascinating personality. Unfortunately I don't have access to a digital camera to attach a photo. Can you help me identify this bird? (crossposted to [[Talk:List of birds of Mexico]]) — [[User:Hippietrail|Hippietrail]] 16:15, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

:[[great-tailed Grackle|Great-tailed]] or [[Boat-tailed Grackle]] [[User:Jimfbleak|jimfbleak]] 05:54, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

::Yes they seem to be [[Great-tailed Grackle]]s, thanks for your help! — [[User:Hippietrail|Hippietrail]] 20:26, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

== Gondwanan origin of Corvids==
My understanding is that recent genetic work:

http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/576rvcglhrkrtejq/

http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/ahy65flpxtl5tu03/

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.0908-8857.2001.03409.x

has suggested that the Corvids are of Gondwanan origin and actually spread from Australia to the northern hemisphere. I think the use of 'recently' and its lack of citations should be re-examined.

== To do list ==

I've decided to try and take this one to FA as an important family. It has already had quite a bit of work done to it so I'm laying out what I plan to do; this way people who have been working here before should be able to add what they think is needed.
*Standardise some of the headings (description instead of appearance)
*add missing sections; distribution in particular, but also economic importance in human section
*expand where needed (feeding and breeding in particular)
*expand POV to include more on treepies, ground-jays, nutcrackers, choughs and others; kind of crow and raven heavy at the moment in places.
*reorganise sections on general behaviour
*consolidate, organise and fully cite intelligence
*hunt down more images of corvids behaving for article and ask someone to make a map of worldwide distribution.

Did I miss anything? [[User:Sabine's Sunbird|Sabine's Sunbird]] [[User talk:Sabine's Sunbird|talk]] 04:20, 15 January 2008 (UTC)

== Range Map ==

What keeps Corvids mysteriously from south-west South America — neither colder nor drier than other parts of their range... and it's hard to imagine these curiousity-filled birds leaving any place ''uninvestigated''.

Magpie

2008-08-19T02:46:43Z

76.202.197.92: /* Magpie in culture */ typo

{{otheruses4|the birds in the family ''Corvidae''|the Australasian bird in the family ''Artamidae''|Australian Magpie|other uses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Magpie
| image = magpie.arp.750pix.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[European Magpie]]
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| familia = [[Corvidae]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
*''[[Urocissa]]''
*''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
*''[[Cyanopica]]''
}}

'''Magpies''' are [[passerine]] [[bird]]s of the [[crow]] [[family (biology)|family]], [[Corvidae]]. The names '[[jay]]' and 'magpie' are to a certain extent interchangeable, although this does not accurately reflect the [[evolution]]ary relationship between these birds. For example, the [[Eurasian Magpie]] seems more closely related to the [[Eurasian Jay]] than to the Oriental [[Urocissa|Blue]] and [[Cissa (magpie)|Green Magpies]], whereas the [[Blue Jay]] is not as closely related to either within the Corvid family.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

In Europe, "magpie" is often used by [[English language|English]] speakers as a synonym for the [[European magpie]], as there are no other magpies in Europe outside [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]].

The bird was referred to as a '''pie''' until the late 16th century when the feminine name '''Mag''' was added to the beginning.<ref>''[[Funk & Wagnalls]] Wildlife Encyclopedia'', Volume 11, 1974, p. 1339.</ref>

==Systematics and species==

[[Image:magpie arp.jpg|thumb|left|[[European Magpie]] ''Pica pica'']]

According to Ericson ''et al.'' (2005), magpies do not form the [[monophyletic]] group they are traditionally believed to be — a long tail has certainly evolved (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds. Among the traditional magpies, there appear to be two [[evolution]]ary lineages: One consists of [[Holarctic]] species with black/white coloration and is probably closely related to [[crow]]s and Eurasian [[jay]]s. The other contains several species from [[South Asia|South]] to [[East Asia]] with vivid coloration which is predominantly green or blue. The Azure-winged Magpie is a species with a most peculiar distribution and unclear relationships. It may be the single survivor of a long extinct group of corvid genera.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

Other recent research (Lee ''et al''., 2003) has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the ''Pica'' magpies, since it appears that ''P. hudsonia'' and ''P. nuttalli'' may not be different species, whereas the [[Korea]]n race of ''P. pica'' is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (and even the North American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as 3 or 4 separate species, or there exists only a single species, ''Pica pica''.

'''Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
** [[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica''
** [[Black-billed Magpie]], ''Pica hudsonia'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Yellow-billed Magpie]], ''Pica nuttalli'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica''/''P. hudsonia'')
** [[Korean Magpie]], ''Pica sericea'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')

'''Oriental (blue/green) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Urocissa]]''
** [[Formosan Blue Magpie]] ''Urocissa caerulea''
** [[Red-billed Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa erythrorhyncha''
** [[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris''
** [[White-winged Magpie]], ''Urocissa whiteheadi''
** [[Sri Lanka Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa ornata''
*Genus ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
** [[Green Magpie]], ''Cissa chinensis''
** [[Yellow-breasted Magpie]], ''Cissa hypoleuca''
** [[Short-tailed Magpie]], ''Cissa thalassina''

'''Azure-winged Magpie'''
*Genus ''[[Cyanopica]]''
** [[Azure-winged Magpie]], ''Cyanopica cyana''

==Other magpies==
The [[Black Magpie]], ''Platysmurus leucopterus'', despite its name, is neither a magpie nor, as was long believed, a [[jay]], but a [[treepie]]. Treepies are a distinct group of corvids externally similar to magpies.

The [[Australian Magpie]], ''Gymnorhina tibicen'', is conspicuously [[piebald]], with black and white plumage reminiscent of a European Magpie, but it is not a corvid.

==Magpie in culture==
Most English language cultural references to magpies are those for the [[European Magpie]], since the word "magpie" usually refers to that species.
Magpies are symbols of good luck in China and Korea, in contrast with their relatives the crows, which are portents of bad omens. In Britain and Ireland, magpies may represent good or bad luck of various forms in a complex manner, depending on the number of magpies present, according to various traditional rhymes starting "One for sorrow, two for joy,..." or "One for sorrow, two for mirth,..."<ref>[http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/magpie.htm British Garden Birds - Magpie]</ref> — such as:
''One for sorrow, two for joy, three for girl, four for boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never told, eight for heaven, nine for hell, and ten for the devil's own self''.

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Anonymous (2006): ''The Word Origin Calendar'': Sat./Sun. March, 11-12, 2006. Accord Publishing.
* Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''Journal of Avian Biology'' '''36''': 222-234. [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]
* Lee, Sang-im; Parr, Cynthia S.; Hwang, Youna; Mindell, David P. & Choe, Jae C. (2003): ''Phylogeny of magpies (genus ''Pica'') inferred from mtDNA data. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''29''': 250-257. [http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{cite news |last=Tickner|first=Lisa |url=http://www.jstor.org/view/01426540/ap040003/04a00100/0 |title=One for sorrow, two for mirth|publisher=Oxford Art Journal|date=1980-04-01 |accessdate=2007-03-02}}

==External links==
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Magpie videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

[[Category:Corvidae]]
[[Category:Luck]]

[[ast:Pega]]
[[eo:Pigoj]]
[[fi:Harakkalinnut]]
[[tr:Saksağan]]

Magpie

2008-08-19T02:46:16Z

76.202.197.92: /* Magpie in culture */ prose improvement

{{otheruses4|the birds in the family ''Corvidae''|the Australasian bird in the family ''Artamidae''|Australian Magpie|other uses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Magpie
| image = magpie.arp.750pix.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[European Magpie]]
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| familia = [[Corvidae]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
*''[[Urocissa]]''
*''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
*''[[Cyanopica]]''
}}

'''Magpies''' are [[passerine]] [[bird]]s of the [[crow]] [[family (biology)|family]], [[Corvidae]]. The names '[[jay]]' and 'magpie' are to a certain extent interchangeable, although this does not accurately reflect the [[evolution]]ary relationship between these birds. For example, the [[Eurasian Magpie]] seems more closely related to the [[Eurasian Jay]] than to the Oriental [[Urocissa|Blue]] and [[Cissa (magpie)|Green Magpies]], whereas the [[Blue Jay]] is not as closely related to either within the Corvid family.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

In Europe, "magpie" is often used by [[English language|English]] speakers as a synonym for the [[European magpie]], as there are no other magpies in Europe outside [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]].

The bird was referred to as a '''pie''' until the late 16th century when the feminine name '''Mag''' was added to the beginning.<ref>''[[Funk & Wagnalls]] Wildlife Encyclopedia'', Volume 11, 1974, p. 1339.</ref>

==Systematics and species==

[[Image:magpie arp.jpg|thumb|left|[[European Magpie]] ''Pica pica'']]

According to Ericson ''et al.'' (2005), magpies do not form the [[monophyletic]] group they are traditionally believed to be — a long tail has certainly evolved (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds. Among the traditional magpies, there appear to be two [[evolution]]ary lineages: One consists of [[Holarctic]] species with black/white coloration and is probably closely related to [[crow]]s and Eurasian [[jay]]s. The other contains several species from [[South Asia|South]] to [[East Asia]] with vivid coloration which is predominantly green or blue. The Azure-winged Magpie is a species with a most peculiar distribution and unclear relationships. It may be the single survivor of a long extinct group of corvid genera.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

Other recent research (Lee ''et al''., 2003) has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the ''Pica'' magpies, since it appears that ''P. hudsonia'' and ''P. nuttalli'' may not be different species, whereas the [[Korea]]n race of ''P. pica'' is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (and even the North American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as 3 or 4 separate species, or there exists only a single species, ''Pica pica''.

'''Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
** [[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica''
** [[Black-billed Magpie]], ''Pica hudsonia'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Yellow-billed Magpie]], ''Pica nuttalli'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica''/''P. hudsonia'')
** [[Korean Magpie]], ''Pica sericea'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')

'''Oriental (blue/green) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Urocissa]]''
** [[Formosan Blue Magpie]] ''Urocissa caerulea''
** [[Red-billed Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa erythrorhyncha''
** [[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris''
** [[White-winged Magpie]], ''Urocissa whiteheadi''
** [[Sri Lanka Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa ornata''
*Genus ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
** [[Green Magpie]], ''Cissa chinensis''
** [[Yellow-breasted Magpie]], ''Cissa hypoleuca''
** [[Short-tailed Magpie]], ''Cissa thalassina''

'''Azure-winged Magpie'''
*Genus ''[[Cyanopica]]''
** [[Azure-winged Magpie]], ''Cyanopica cyana''

==Other magpies==
The [[Black Magpie]], ''Platysmurus leucopterus'', despite its name, is neither a magpie nor, as was long believed, a [[jay]], but a [[treepie]]. Treepies are a distinct group of corvids externally similar to magpies.

The [[Australian Magpie]], ''Gymnorhina tibicen'', is conspicuously [[piebald]], with black and white plumage reminiscent of a European Magpie, but it is not a corvid.

==Magpie in culture==
Most English language cultural references to magpies are those for the [[European Magpie]], since the word "magpie" usually refers to that species.
Magpies are symbols of good luck in China and Korea, in contrast with their relatives the crows, which are portents of bad omens. In Britain and Ireland, magpies may represent good or bad luck of various forms in a complex manner, depending on the number of magpies present, according to various traditional rhymes starting "One for sorrow, two for joy,..." or "One for sorrow, two for mirth,..."<ref>[http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/magpie.htm British Garden Birds - Magpie]</ref> — such as:
''One for sorrow, two for joy, three for girl, four for boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never told, eight for heaven, nine for hell, and ten for the devil's own self''

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Anonymous (2006): ''The Word Origin Calendar'': Sat./Sun. March, 11-12, 2006. Accord Publishing.
* Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''Journal of Avian Biology'' '''36''': 222-234. [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]
* Lee, Sang-im; Parr, Cynthia S.; Hwang, Youna; Mindell, David P. & Choe, Jae C. (2003): ''Phylogeny of magpies (genus ''Pica'') inferred from mtDNA data. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''29''': 250-257. [http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{cite news |last=Tickner|first=Lisa |url=http://www.jstor.org/view/01426540/ap040003/04a00100/0 |title=One for sorrow, two for mirth|publisher=Oxford Art Journal|date=1980-04-01 |accessdate=2007-03-02}}

==External links==
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Magpie videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

[[Category:Corvidae]]
[[Category:Luck]]

[[ast:Pega]]
[[eo:Pigoj]]
[[fi:Harakkalinnut]]
[[tr:Saksağan]]

Magpie

2008-08-19T02:42:03Z

76.202.197.92: /* Systematics and species */ typo

{{otheruses4|the birds in the family ''Corvidae''|the Australasian bird in the family ''Artamidae''|Australian Magpie|other uses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Magpie
| image = magpie.arp.750pix.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[European Magpie]]
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| familia = [[Corvidae]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
*''[[Urocissa]]''
*''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
*''[[Cyanopica]]''
}}

'''Magpies''' are [[passerine]] [[bird]]s of the [[crow]] [[family (biology)|family]], [[Corvidae]]. The names '[[jay]]' and 'magpie' are to a certain extent interchangeable, although this does not accurately reflect the [[evolution]]ary relationship between these birds. For example, the [[Eurasian Magpie]] seems more closely related to the [[Eurasian Jay]] than to the Oriental [[Urocissa|Blue]] and [[Cissa (magpie)|Green Magpies]], whereas the [[Blue Jay]] is not as closely related to either within the Corvid family.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

In Europe, "magpie" is often used by [[English language|English]] speakers as a synonym for the [[European magpie]], as there are no other magpies in Europe outside [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]].

The bird was referred to as a '''pie''' until the late 16th century when the feminine name '''Mag''' was added to the beginning.<ref>''[[Funk & Wagnalls]] Wildlife Encyclopedia'', Volume 11, 1974, p. 1339.</ref>

==Systematics and species==

[[Image:magpie arp.jpg|thumb|left|[[European Magpie]] ''Pica pica'']]

According to Ericson ''et al.'' (2005), magpies do not form the [[monophyletic]] group they are traditionally believed to be — a long tail has certainly evolved (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds. Among the traditional magpies, there appear to be two [[evolution]]ary lineages: One consists of [[Holarctic]] species with black/white coloration and is probably closely related to [[crow]]s and Eurasian [[jay]]s. The other contains several species from [[South Asia|South]] to [[East Asia]] with vivid coloration which is predominantly green or blue. The Azure-winged Magpie is a species with a most peculiar distribution and unclear relationships. It may be the single survivor of a long extinct group of corvid genera.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

Other recent research (Lee ''et al''., 2003) has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the ''Pica'' magpies, since it appears that ''P. hudsonia'' and ''P. nuttalli'' may not be different species, whereas the [[Korea]]n race of ''P. pica'' is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (and even the North American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as 3 or 4 separate species, or there exists only a single species, ''Pica pica''.

'''Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
** [[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica''
** [[Black-billed Magpie]], ''Pica hudsonia'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Yellow-billed Magpie]], ''Pica nuttalli'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica''/''P. hudsonia'')
** [[Korean Magpie]], ''Pica sericea'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')

'''Oriental (blue/green) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Urocissa]]''
** [[Formosan Blue Magpie]] ''Urocissa caerulea''
** [[Red-billed Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa erythrorhyncha''
** [[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris''
** [[White-winged Magpie]], ''Urocissa whiteheadi''
** [[Sri Lanka Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa ornata''
*Genus ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
** [[Green Magpie]], ''Cissa chinensis''
** [[Yellow-breasted Magpie]], ''Cissa hypoleuca''
** [[Short-tailed Magpie]], ''Cissa thalassina''

'''Azure-winged Magpie'''
*Genus ''[[Cyanopica]]''
** [[Azure-winged Magpie]], ''Cyanopica cyana''

==Other magpies==
The [[Black Magpie]], ''Platysmurus leucopterus'', despite its name, is neither a magpie nor, as was long believed, a [[jay]], but a [[treepie]]. Treepies are a distinct group of corvids externally similar to magpies.

The [[Australian Magpie]], ''Gymnorhina tibicen'', is conspicuously [[piebald]], with black and white plumage reminiscent of a European Magpie, but it is not a corvid.

==Magpie in culture==
Most English language cultural references to magpies are those for the [[European Magpie]], since the word "magpie" usually refers to that species.
Magpies are symbols of good luck in China and Korea, in contrast with their relatives the crows, which are portents of bad omens. In Britain and Ireland, magpies may represent good or bad luck of various forms in a complex manner, depending on the number of magpies present, according to various traditional rhymes starting "One for sorrow, two for joy,..." or "One for sorrow, two for mirth,..."<ref>[http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/magpie.htm British Garden Birds - Magpie]</ref>.
The full rhyme is:
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for girl,
Four for boy, five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never told,
Eight for heaven,
Nine for hell, and
Ten for the devil's own self

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Anonymous (2006): ''The Word Origin Calendar'': Sat./Sun. March, 11-12, 2006. Accord Publishing.
* Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''Journal of Avian Biology'' '''36''': 222-234. [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]
* Lee, Sang-im; Parr, Cynthia S.; Hwang, Youna; Mindell, David P. & Choe, Jae C. (2003): ''Phylogeny of magpies (genus ''Pica'') inferred from mtDNA data. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''29''': 250-257. [http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{cite news |last=Tickner|first=Lisa |url=http://www.jstor.org/view/01426540/ap040003/04a00100/0 |title=One for sorrow, two for mirth|publisher=Oxford Art Journal|date=1980-04-01 |accessdate=2007-03-02}}

==External links==
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Magpie videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

[[Category:Corvidae]]
[[Category:Luck]]

[[ast:Pega]]
[[eo:Pigoj]]
[[fi:Harakkalinnut]]
[[tr:Saksağan]]

Magpie

2008-08-19T02:39:57Z

76.202.197.92: clarification on all jays/magpies being corvids (neither confirming or denying relationship of blue jays)

{{otheruses4|the birds in the family ''Corvidae''|the Australasian bird in the family ''Artamidae''|Australian Magpie|other uses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Magpie
| image = magpie.arp.750pix.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[European Magpie]]
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| familia = [[Corvidae]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
*''[[Urocissa]]''
*''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
*''[[Cyanopica]]''
}}

'''Magpies''' are [[passerine]] [[bird]]s of the [[crow]] [[family (biology)|family]], [[Corvidae]]. The names '[[jay]]' and 'magpie' are to a certain extent interchangeable, although this does not accurately reflect the [[evolution]]ary relationship between these birds. For example, the [[Eurasian Magpie]] seems more closely related to the [[Eurasian Jay]] than to the Oriental [[Urocissa|Blue]] and [[Cissa (magpie)|Green Magpies]], whereas the [[Blue Jay]] is not as closely related to either within the Corvid family.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

In Europe, "magpie" is often used by [[English language|English]] speakers as a synonym for the [[European magpie]], as there are no other magpies in Europe outside [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberia]].

The bird was referred to as a '''pie''' until the late 16th century when the feminine name '''Mag''' was added to the beginning.<ref>''[[Funk & Wagnalls]] Wildlife Encyclopedia'', Volume 11, 1974, p. 1339.</ref>

==Systematics and species==

[[Image:magpie arp.jpg|thumb|left|[[European Magpie]] ''Pica pica'']]

According to Ericson ''et al.'' (2005), magpies do not form the [[monophyletic]] group they are traditionally believed to be a long tail has certainly evolved (or shortened) independently in multiple lineages of corvid birds. Among the traditional magpies, there appear to be two [[evolution]]ary lineages: One consists of [[Holarctic]] species with black/white coloration and is probably closely related to [[crow]]s and Eurasian [[jay]]s. The other contains several species from [[South Asia|South]] to [[East Asia]] with vivid coloration which is predominantly green or blue. The Azure-winged Magpie is a species with a most peculiar distribution and unclear relationships. It may be the single survivor of a long extinct group of corvid genera.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

Other recent research (Lee ''et al''., 2003) has cast doubt on the taxonomy of the ''Pica'' magpies, since it appears that ''P. hudsonia'' and ''P. nuttalli'' may not be different species, whereas the [[Korea]]n race of ''P. pica'' is genetically very distinct from the other Eurasian (and even the North American) forms. Either the North American, Korean, and remaining Eurasian forms are accepted as 3 or 4 separate species, or there exists only a single species, ''Pica pica''.

'''Holarctic (black-and-white) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Pica (genus)|Pica]]''
** [[European Magpie]], ''Pica pica''
** [[Black-billed Magpie]], ''Pica hudsonia'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')
** [[Yellow-billed Magpie]], ''Pica nuttalli'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica''/''P. hudsonia'')
** [[Korean Magpie]], ''Pica sericea'' (may be conspecific with ''P. pica'')

'''Oriental (blue/green) magpies'''
*Genus ''[[Urocissa]]''
** [[Formosan Blue Magpie]] ''Urocissa caerulea''
** [[Red-billed Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa erythrorhyncha''
** [[Gold-billed Magpie]], ''Urocissa flavirostris''
** [[White-winged Magpie]], ''Urocissa whiteheadi''
** [[Sri Lanka Blue Magpie]], ''Urocissa ornata''
*Genus ''[[Cissa (magpie)|Cissa]]''
** [[Green Magpie]], ''Cissa chinensis''
** [[Yellow-breasted Magpie]], ''Cissa hypoleuca''
** [[Short-tailed Magpie]], ''Cissa thalassina''

'''Azure-winged Magpie'''
*Genus ''[[Cyanopica]]''
** [[Azure-winged Magpie]], ''Cyanopica cyana''

==Other magpies==
The [[Black Magpie]], ''Platysmurus leucopterus'', despite its name, is neither a magpie nor, as was long believed, a [[jay]], but a [[treepie]]. Treepies are a distinct group of corvids externally similar to magpies.

The [[Australian Magpie]], ''Gymnorhina tibicen'', is conspicuously [[piebald]], with black and white plumage reminiscent of a European Magpie, but it is not a corvid.

==Magpie in culture==
Most English language cultural references to magpies are those for the [[European Magpie]], since the word "magpie" usually refers to that species.
Magpies are symbols of good luck in China and Korea, in contrast with their relatives the crows, which are portents of bad omens. In Britain and Ireland, magpies may represent good or bad luck of various forms in a complex manner, depending on the number of magpies present, according to various traditional rhymes starting "One for sorrow, two for joy,..." or "One for sorrow, two for mirth,..."<ref>[http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/magpie.htm British Garden Birds - Magpie]</ref>.
The full rhyme is:
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for girl,
Four for boy, five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never told,
Eight for heaven,
Nine for hell, and
Ten for the devil's own self

==References==
{{reflist}}
* Anonymous (2006): ''The Word Origin Calendar'': Sat./Sun. March, 11-12, 2006. Accord Publishing.
* Ericson, Per G. P.; Jansén, Anna-Lee; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ekman, Jan (2005): Inter-generic relationships of the crows, jays, magpies and allied groups (Aves: Corvidae) based on nucleotide sequence data. ''Journal of Avian Biology'' '''36''': 222-234. [http://www.nrm.se/download/18.4e32c81078a8d9249800021299/Corvidae%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]
* Lee, Sang-im; Parr, Cynthia S.; Hwang, Youna; Mindell, David P. & Choe, Jae C. (2003): ''Phylogeny of magpies (genus ''Pica'') inferred from mtDNA data. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''29''': 250-257. [http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/molsys/LPHMC03.pdf PDF fulltext]
* {{cite news |last=Tickner|first=Lisa |url=http://www.jstor.org/view/01426540/ap040003/04a00100/0 |title=One for sorrow, two for mirth|publisher=Oxford Art Journal|date=1980-04-01 |accessdate=2007-03-02}}

==External links==
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=188 Magpie videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

[[Category:Corvidae]]
[[Category:Luck]]

[[ast:Pega]]
[[eo:Pigoj]]
[[fi:Harakkalinnut]]
[[tr:Saksağan]]