A beautiful striking black and white bird. A distinctive large bird with the yellow bill. A very unusual cackle not to be confused with any other bird call. Very intelligent and crafty, I think on a par with a crow or raven for intelligence. They do invade other birds nests and ravage the nestlings and are quite the scavengers. All in all a real delight to see and observe. A very welcome sight on any outing.

cricketfan

Fair Oaks, CA | October 2009 | Positive

This is a beautiful, noisy and gregarious bird. It is found only in the central valley of California. In 2005, the population suffered extreme casualties from the West Nile virus, but has rebounded nicely. It can generally be seen in parks and oak woodlands, but only rarely visits home gardens.

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