They nest on the ground sometime far away from water. A majority of those birds can be found in the tundra flats of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, a breeding ground for those birds that pair for life and require 1 square mile of territory. This practice is thought to reinforce existing pair bonds. Caracteristic very visible is the black crest on the head. They live year-round in the forested areas and are very common.
Flights is a serie of wingsflappings interspresed with long, straight glides.
They feed on seeds, berries and insects and nest 10 feet or more above the ground in early spring. They are large black bird of 22 to 27 inches of length with large bill and a wedge-shaped tail. From the ground, they often take 2 or 3 hops to become airborne. They are found on tidal flats, mountain ridges and glaciers, or in garbage dumps. Scavenger feeeding on carrion, insects, berries and occasionally hunting voles and lemmings.