Devon's 'male' Jake the Jackdaw surprises owners after laying eggs

  • Watch: Jake the Jackdaw takes a bath in his owner's kitchen sink (credit: Jake's Blog / Facebook

A well-known jackdaw from Devon has surprised its owners by laying eggs - after being mistaken for a male for years.

Owners Jamie and Adrian Lee, from Axminster, Devon, were baffled to see Jake laying eggs in its nest.

The pair had noticed Jake - who was taken in by the couple after being attacked by a seagull - was laying up to an egg a day in its nest, which is made with torn-up tissue paper.

The elusive jackdaw recently flew the nest and Jamie spent three days calling the bird’s name until she received a message that Jake was safe inside a conservatory.

Jake was thought to be a male jackdaw but is in fact female. Credit: Jake's Blog / Facebook

She said: "When we collected him, we knew we had the right jackdaw because he immediately pecked my nose and ear, like he always did."

Jake is known for being a cunning thief after stealing 10p and 50p coins from a market stall before entering Lloyds Bank with his 60p savings.

Jamie and Adrian document Jake's life in a blog online, which has reached audiences across the world.

His regular contact with humans means he is not afraid to land on strangers' shoulders, and he is often spotted in Honiton, Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary and Crediton.

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