A bold, noisy, agile crow with a distinctive black cap and pale nape. Flocks are full of energy, flying off at great speed, soaring over cliffs or buildings or circling above woods; frequently mixes with Rooks.

It is a bird of temperate regions, avoiding excessive heat or cold, yet it occupies a broad range of habitats from coastal cliffs to inland crags, from quiet cathedral closes to busy, noisy supermarket car parks, from old woods and parks to warm Mediterranean slopes. It is a social bird that roosts and nests in groups, and to thrive it needs plenty of holes in trees or buildings, or sheltered, overhung ledges.