The American Crow is an all-black bird with a loud caw, found in towns, farms, and open woods across much of the United States. American Crows solve food problems together, and young from earlier years may stay with their parents and help raise new chicks.
Appearance
- Appearance
- It is 16–21 in (40–53 cm) long and black from bill to feet. Its short tail looks rounded or nearly square in flight.
- Voice
- Its familiar caw sounds fuller than the short, nasal call of a Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus).
Look-alikes
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
The two look nearly identical in a photo. Listen: a Fish Crow gives a short, nasal call, often in two notes, while an American Crow has a fuller caw.
Common RavenCorvus corax
A Common Raven (Corvus corax) is larger, with a heavier bill and a wedge-shaped tail in flight. An American Crow has a shorter, rounded or square tail.
| Size and shape | Best field clue | |
|---|---|---|
| American Crow | Medium, short square or rounded tail | Full throated caw |
| Fish Crow | Nearly the same shape | Short nasal call, often two notes |
| Common Raven | Larger, heavier bill, wedge shaped tail | Tail shape in flight |
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- City parks
- Farmland
- Open woods
- Range
- It lives across much of the United States and Canada, including towns and farms.
- Preferred conditions
- It uses open areas with trees and reliable food, from parks to fields and shorelines.
- When it’s recorded
Recorded year-round, every year
69,523 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference
Behavior
- Diet
- It eats seeds, fruit, insects, small animals, dead animals, and discarded food.
- Social life
- Parents and young from earlier years may stay together and help raise a new brood.
Life cycle
- Nest
- The pair makes a twig nest high in a tree; older young sometimes help.
- Clutch size
- 3–9 eggs
- Incubation
- 16–18 days
Name and classification
- About the name
- The Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) was once treated as a separate species; it is now treated as the American Crow C. b. caurinus.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction