American Crow

## Description

The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos ) is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow and the hooded crow. Although the American crow and the hooded crow are very similar in size, structure and behavior, their calls and visual appearance are different. The American crow, nevertheless, occupies the same ecological niche that the hooded crow and carrion crow do in Eurasia.

From beak to tail, an American crow measures 40–50 cm (16–20 in), almost half of which is tail. Mass varies from about 300 to 600 g (11 to 21 oz). Males tend to be larger than females. The most usual call is CaaW!-CaaW!-CaaW!. Plumage is all black, with iridescent feathers. It looks much like other all-black corvids. They can be distinguished from the common raven (C. corax ) because American crows are smaller; from the fish crow (C. ossifragus ) because American crows do not hunch and fluff their throat feathers when they call; and from the carrion crow (C. corone ) by size, as the carrion crow is larger and of a stockier build. They are very intelligent, and adaptable to human environments.

American crows are common, widespread, and susceptible to the West Nile virus, making them useful as a bioindicator to track the virus's spread. Direct transmission of the virus from crows to humans is impossible. They are considered an agricultural pest, and are subject to hunting and management.

## Appearance

The American crow is a common glossy, black bird throughout North America. Feathers of American crow are shiny and varicolored while their bills are black, solid, and strongly bent backward in the end. Nostrils are covered with rough and stiff plumage. Young and adult crows are the same size, though the eyes of young are blue and their mouths are pink inside. With growing up their eyes and mouths become darker. Young are also identified by the sharpened, symmetric end of tails while adults’ feathers on the end of tails are wide open and rounded. In addition, during the first winter and spring of their lives, the wings and tails of youngsters are irregularly covered with brown-colored feathers. And then, when the first molt happens, new growing hair is darker and shiny, thus giving the young appearance of adults.

## Distribution

American crows’ habitat covers a vast territory. In Canada, it stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. It also includes northern regions of Mexico, southern states of the US, and overseas territories of France - St-Pierre, and Miquelon. Crows live in areas with open view and trees. Being robbers, crows find farms and meadows as suitable places for living and raiding for food. Crows also find forest areas and especially edges of forests perfect for breeding or just sitting on branches. They can be found in city parks, suburbs of large cities as well as along the seashore.

## Behavior

American crows are very sociable birds, usually joining small groups made up of families. As a regular rule, all their lives they live in the same place, being permanent residents of the area, defending the home range and growing up young. However, as autumn comes, some crows migrate from northern regions to the south. Outside of the nesting season these birds often gather in large (thousands or even millions) communal roosts at night. American crows are diurnal. They congregate at dusk on trees and fly to the place of roosting. Along with flying, they often walk on branches of trees and on the ground. American crows usually search for food on the ground: they walk around, looking for suitable items and picking. To feed, they can make up small groups of a few individuals. However, when foraging, they can congregate into larger groups in larger areas.

## Diet

American crows are omnivorous, meaning that they eat food of both plant and animal origin. During spring and summer seasons they feed upon worms, larvae and insects as well as corns, fruits and nuts. In autumn and winter they eat acorns, nuts and walnuts. Crows also enjoy preying on small rabbits, frogs and mice. On the other hand, being nest predators, they feed on eggs. Crows that live in close proximity to human settlements, look for food in trash and feed upon animals hit by cars.

## Reproduction

American crows are monogamous. Mated pairs cooperate, forming big groups of around 15 birds from different breeding seasons. They stay and live together as families. Planning to have chicks, a male and a female start building a nest, making it of bark, branches of trees, sticks, vegetable fibers and other available material. Season of nesting takes place quite early. For example, some individuals of American crow start incubating eggs since April. Thus, females lay 4-5 eggs, incubating them around 18 days. Chicks, hatching, are altricial and require care and feeding by parents. Parents feed the chicks by regurgitating food into their mouths. Feathers start to appear in 35 days after their hatching out of eggs. A month later the chicks are able to leave, but parents don’t allow them to, feeding and caring for them throughout another month. American crows reach their reproductive maturity at the age of 3 years.

## Population

### Population threats

In spite of being protected, hunting season in the USA affects the crows along with many other animals. Unfortunately, a huge number of American crows are killed for entertainment purposes, for sporting (when hunting on other birds is prohibited by law), and during campaigns, having a goal to reduce crows’ population.

### Population number

IUCN doesn’t consider American crows endangered and has listed them in the IUCN Red List as Least Concern. BirdLife International, the world’s largest nature conservation partnership, notes that the estimated population of the American craw reaches up to 31 million.

### Ecological niche

Feeding on fruit and nuts, the crows unconsciously become dispersers of seeds. They also contribute to the decay of corpses and carcasses by pecking them.

## Fun Facts for Kids

American crows let ants clean their feathers. They lie on ant-heaps, letting ants insert into their feathers and take flakes out of them.

Fairy-tales, ancient myths, and fables are full of references to crows. Crows are usually pictured as sly deceivers. In different countries, they can be a sign of bad luck or conversely, a signifier of good luck.

Huge roosts, where the crows usually come together to sleep, can count from a few hundred to two million individuals in each group.

In one thing craws are just like humans: make improvised tools. For example, a captive crow carries a cup with water to a bowl of dry mash. Another crow breaks off pinecones, making a climbing instrument out of the pieces of it. Or take as an example a crow that sharpens a stick, shoves it into an opening in a fence post, using it in order to get food.

Surprisingly, a group of crows is called murder.” There is a number of unbelievable explanations of it, all of them having to do with myths, legends and tales. However, the expression “murder of crows” may refer to a poetic and figurative meaning. And this is not the only example of such odd extraordinary names: a parliament of owls, a knot of frogs, a skulk of foxes, etc.