Crows and jays | Corvidae

Kraaiachtigen | Córvidos

The largest and heaviest-built songbirds, with a powerful all-purpose bill, bristly feathers over the nostrils and strong legs used for walking as much as hopping. They eat almost anything, hide food for later and remember where they put it; their brains are the largest for their size of any bird, which shows in how readily they exploit tools, carrion and human habits. True song is absent — the calls are harsh and grating — but many species mimic other sounds. Pairs stay together for years, build a bulky stick nest, and the sexes look alike.