Crow, American

Physical Features

American Crows are large, intelligent black birds with strong, stout bills. They can be distinguished from common Ravens in that they are smaller, have straight to somewhat rounded tails and they have high-pitched hoarse cawing voices. The other difference between Crows and Ravens is that Ravens have much larger beaks and longer, shaggier feathers on their throats. The American Crows are bigger compared to their close relatives, the Northwestern Crows. American Crows have an average weight of 316g to 620g/11.1–21.9oz with a body length of 40cm to 53cm/15.7–20.9in and a wingspan of 85cm to 100cm/33.5–39.4in.

Habitat

American Crows are able to exploit a wide range of environments provided that there are a few trees to perch in and a reliable food source. Their favored habitats include: farmlands, pasture, landfills, city parks, golf courses, cemeteries, yards, vacant lots, highway turnarounds, feedlots, and the shores of rivers, streams, and marshes. American Crows tend to avoid unbroken expanses of forest, but do show up at forest campgrounds and travel into forests along roads and rivers. They also avoid desert areas. American Crows are mostly permanent residents, although they may migrate from northern regions in the fall. Flocks gather in large winter roosts, which may draw some birds short distances from their breeding areas.

Diet

The American Crow prefers to feed off the ground and it eats almost anything including: grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, little animals like mice, insects, earthworms and aquatic creatures such as fish, young turtles, crayfish, mussels, and clams. They are also nest predators feeding on the eggs and nestlings of many species like sparrows, robins, jays, terns, loons, and eiders. They are also known to steal food from other animals and American Crow can also be found feeding carrion and garbage.

Meat

The meat of the American Crow is dark colored and flavorful. Some people compare its taste to that of chicken.

Behavior

American Crows are curious, mischievous and social birds. They form monogamous, long-term bonds in families of about 15 members that include offspring of five different years. They start breeding at the age of two years. The immature ones help their parents raise the nestlings. Their flight style is unique in that they exhibit a systematic flapping that is rarely broken up with glide. Their nests are built using a bulky stick platform, lined with mud, moss, grass, and feathers on the canopy of a tree. The female incubates 4 to 6 eggs for about 18 days after which naked chicks with closed eyes hatch. At first, the female broods the chicks continuously and then helps the male search for food for the chicks. The chicks move out of the nest onto nearby branches at first and begin to fledge at about 4-5 weeks. American Crows can make more than 20 calls but the most common of all is the harsh “caw”, which has several qualities and lengths that may serve different purposes. Immature begging young American Crows give a higher-pitched, nasal call that can sound like the call of a Fish Crow. There are also a variety of calls and alarms given to rally others to mob predators. The oldest recorded American Crows lived up to 16 years of age.

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