Barham’s Jackdaw was sainted for stealing then returning a cardinal’s ring;
Native American legend portrays a Raven as Robin Hood – stealing the sun to give light to the people; and Rossini solidified the reputation of the Magpie as thief just in time to save his heroine Ninetta.
The black feathered family of noisily cawing birds –- including jackdaws, rooks, crows, ravens, magpies are certainly not wallflowers and their propensity for being ominous scavengers means that they are the birds most commonly associated with Halloween.
Although fiction can be more entertaining than the real thing – these feathered thieves are more likely to simply steal from each other. It is so common there is even a name for it – Kleptoparasitism – and generally involves stealing juicy titbits especially snails (at times cleverly working in teams to do so).
So, guard that escargot on your Halloween plate of tricks and treats – your jewellery box is likely to be quite safe from our feathered friends! For your real-life security needs, the Alarm People can provide intruder alarms and CCTV solutions for your homes and businesses.
