Common resident. Inhabits riparian forests, groves, shelterbelts and reed-beds on plains; and deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests in mountains at altitudes up to 2600 m in Tien Shan and 2200 m in Altai, mostly near the water. Appears in breeding sites in March. Breeds in separate pairs at 100-150 m, or sometimes 8-10 km one from another. Nest is located on tree (spruce, juniper, elm, apple, poplar, russian olive, willow, birch, larch) at height 2-25 m above the ground; or on tamarisk bushes and reed clump; nest is built from twigs or reed stems and leaves, and is lined with plenty of hair. Clutch of 3-6 eggs is laid between late March and late May. Both parents feed juveniles which fledge in late May – early July. Repeated breeding after loss of the first clutch is common. Autumn movement begins in late September – early October. At Chokpak Pass singly birds rarely caught in October. Records of flocks of several hundred birds need confirmation, as they can be confused with Rooks especially in autumn.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.