Crows
The true crows are in the genus Corvus; they are large Passerine birds. As a group they show remarkable examples of intelligence; it would not be at all an exaggeration to characterize crows as being to birds what higher primates (including humans) are to mammals.
Identification
The American crow is one of America’s best-known birds. Males and females are outwardly alike. Their large size (17 to 21 inches [43 to 53 cm] long), completely coal-black plumage, and familiar “caw caw” sound make them easy to identify. They are fairly common in areas near people, and tales of their wit and intelligence have been noted in many stories.
Three other crows occur in the continental United States, the fish crow (Corvus ossifragus), the northwestern crow (Corvus caurinus), and the Mexican crow (Corvus imparatus). Fish crows are primarily inhabitants of the eastern and southeastern coastal United States, but their range extends into the eastern edges of Oklahoma and Texas. Fish crows are somewhat smaller than American crows, but in the field they appear much alike. They can be distinguished, however, by their calls — the fish crow call is a short, nasal “ca,” “car,” or “ca-ha.” Northwestern crows, as their name implies, occur in the northwest along the coastal strip from Washington to Alaska. They are most often seen foraging along beaches. Northwestern crows are smaller than American crows, but in Washington state these two species may hybridize. Mexican crows occur in south Texas (Brownsville area) primarily during fall and winter and are fairly small for crows. Their voice is a low froglike “gurr” or “croak” or, in some areas, a higher-pitched “creow.”
Ravens are similar to crows in appearance. Two species occur in the continental United States, the common or northern raven (Corvus corax) and Chihuahuan or white-necked raven (Corvus cryptoleucus). The common raven is found from the foothills of the Rockies westward, northward to Alaska and eastward across Canada and some northern U.S. states, and locally in the Appalachian mountains. Common ravens can be distinguished from crows by their larger size, call, wedge-shaped tail, and flight pattern that commonly includes soaring or gliding. In contrast, crows have a frequent steady wing-beat with little or no gliding.
Chihuahuan ravens occur in the Southwest, including portions of western Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and rarely in south-central Nebraska. This raven, which is smaller than the common raven and somewhat larger than the American crow, can be distinguished from the crow by its call, slightly wedge-shaped tail, and flight pattern that includes gliding. The white neck feathers, which account for its other name, are seldom visible in the field.
Range
American crows are widely distributed over much of North America. They breed from Newfoundland and Manitoba southward to Florida and Texas, and throughout the West, except in the drier southwestern portions. During fall, crows in the northern parts of their range migrate southward and generally winter south of the Canada-US border.
Habitat
American crows do best in a mixture of open fields where food can be found and woodlots where there are trees for nesting and roosting. They commonly use woodlots, wooded areas along streams and rivers, farmlands, orchards, parks, and suburban areas. Winter roosting concentrations of crows occur in areas that have favorable roost sites and abundant food.
Food Habits
Crows are omnivorous, eating almost anything, and they readily adapt food habits to changing seasons and available food supply. They belong to a select group of birds that appear equally adept at live hunting, pirating, and scavenging. Studies show that crows consume over 600 different food items.
About one-third of the crow’s annual diet consists of animal matter, including grasshoppers, beetles, beetle larvae (white grubs, wireworms), caterpillars, spiders, millipedes, dead fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, eggs and young of birds, and carrion such as traffic-killed animals. The remainder of the crow’s diet consists of vegetable or plant matter. Corn is the principal food item in this category, much of it obtained from fields after harvest. Crows also consume acorns, various wild and cultivated fruits, watermelon, wheat, sorghum, peanuts, pecans, garbage, and miscellaneous other items.
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General Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Damage and Damage Identification
Economics of Damage and Control
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Damage Prevention and Control Methods
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