Quick Answer
Both crows and ravens can be found in Massachusetts. The American crow is the most common species of crow in the state, while the common raven is the raven species found in Massachusetts.
Crows in Massachusetts
There are two species of crows that live in Massachusetts:
American Crow
The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is the most common crow species found in Massachusetts. Some key facts about American crows in Massachusetts:
– Found statewide: American crows are found throughout Massachusetts and can thrive in both rural and urban environments. They are a year-round resident in the state.
– Large population: There is a large and stable population of American crows in Massachusetts. The state harbors some of the highest densities of crows in the United States.
– Adaptability: American crows are highly intelligent and adaptable birds. They have learned to thrive around human settlements, using man-made structures for nesting and taking advantage of food sources like trash cans and agricultural crops.
– Protection status: American crows are not protected under state or federal law and can be hunted year-round with no limits in Massachusetts. However, hunters must obtain a free permit from the state.
Fish Crow
The fish crow (Corvus ossifragus) has a much smaller presence in Massachusetts compared to the American crow. Some key facts about fish crows in the state include:
– Limited range: Fish crows are restricted to coastal eastern Massachusetts. Their breeding range only extends as far inland as Plymouth on the South Shore and Cape Ann on the North Shore.
– Small population: There is a small population of a few thousand breeding pairs of fish crows in Massachusetts, concentrated along the coastline. Their numbers increase during winter when migrants arrive from more southern states.
– Beach nesters: Fish crows got their names from their habit of nesting along beaches and shorelines. They nest in coastal dunes and salt marshes.
– Overlap with American crows: Fish crows overlap with American crows along the Massachusetts coastline. The two species sometimes interbreed where their ranges meet. Fish crows can be distinguished from American crows by their slightly smaller size, nasal calls, and square-tipped tail.
Ravens in Massachusetts
Only one species of raven, the common raven (Corvus corax), is found in Massachusetts. Some key facts about common ravens in the state include:
Recovering population
– Extirpated: Common ravens were extirpated from Massachusetts in the early 20th century due to habitat loss and persecution. They have been making a slow recovery in recent decades.
– Expanding range: In recent decades, ravens have been expanding their range back into Massachusetts, spreading from source populations in northern New England and New York.
– Still rare: The raven population in Massachusetts is still relatively small, numbering in the hundreds of pairs. They are most common in the Berkshires and Cape Cod. Seeing or hearing a raven in the state is still a rare occurrence for most observers.
Adaptable omnivore
– Diet: Common ravens are omnivorous, eating anything from grains and berries to small animals, carrion and trash. They are master scavengers. This varied diet allows them to thrive around humans.
– Intelligence: Common ravens are among the smartest and most behaviorally flexible birds in the world. They are quick to take advantage of new habitat and food sources, from farms to landfills.
– Nest sites: Ravens nest on cliffs, in trees or on man-made structures like cell towers. Their early return to Massachusetts is aided by the use of artificial nest sites.
Legally protected
– State status: Ravens are listed as an Endangered species under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to kill, harass or possess ravens without a permit.
– Federal status: The common raven is protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Only scientific collecting and sport hunting in season is permitted.
How to Tell Crows and Ravens Apart
Although crows and ravens look similar on the surface, there are some key physical differences:
Trait | Crow | Raven |
---|---|---|
Size | 15-21 inches | 22-27 inches |
Wingspan | 33-39 inches | 45-48 inches |
Weight | 11-21 oz | 33-42 oz |
Tail | Squared off | Wedge-shaped |
Bill | Smaller | Larger |
Throat Hackles | Absent | Shaggy |
In addition to size, there are some key differences in voice and behavior:
– Calls: Crows give a familiar “caw caw” while ravens produce deeper, hoarser croaks, rattles and clicks.
– Flight: Ravens soar and glide more while crows have a more direct flight pattern with steady wing beats.
– Behavior: Ravens often travel alone or in pairs while crows congregate in larger flocks in winter.
– Aerobatics: Ravens perform spectacular aerial acrobatics like barrel-rolls and dives. Crows do not.
With practice, the larger, wedge-tailed raven is usually easy to distinguish from American crows when seen up close. Telling them apart by voice takes experience but the raven’s deeper croaks and clicks are distinctive.
Best Places to See Crows and Ravens in Massachusetts
Some of the top places to spot crows and ravens in Massachusetts include:
American Crows
– Urban areas: American crows thrive around human development. They are abundant in cities like Boston, Worcester and Springfield. Look for them scavenging on trash and roosting in parks.
– Coastal beaches: Large winter crow roosts form along the Massachusetts coastline, especially on Plum Island and Cape Cod. Dawn fly-outs from the roosts can number thousands of crows.
– Agricultural areas: American crows gather in farmlands across Massachusetts year-round to feed in fields, orchards and pastures. They roost in woodlots at night.
Fish Crows
– Coastal marshes: The best places to find fish crows are in salt marshes along the Massachusetts coast, such as Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Listen for nasal “uh-uh” call.
– Coastal dunes: Scanning the tops of dunes and beach plum thickets along the coast may reveal Fish Crows nesting in the summer. They nest solitary, unlike American Crows.
– Harbors: Fish crows forage in harbor areas and roost communally on winter nights near coastal cities like Boston, often mixing in with American crows.
Common Ravens
– Mount Greylock: The highest peak in Massachusetts is a reliable place to find breeding Common Ravens, especially soaring on updrafts along the ridgetop.
– Coastal headlands: Common Ravens nest on coastal cliffs on Martha’s Vineyard and along the Cape Cod National Seashore. Early spring is the best time to see aerial displays.
– Quabbin Reservoir: This large protected woodland expanse provides habitat for a growing number of nesting raven pairs. Listen for deep croaks.
– Amherst: Look for ravens scavenging on the UMass campus and at the town landfill. Nearby Quabbin Reservoir provides nesting sites.
Seasonal Patterns
Crows
– Year-round: American Crows are permanent residents in Massachusetts. They can be found statewide all year, though their abundance increases in winter when migrants arrive from farther north.
– Winter roosts: Winter crow roosts numbering thousands of birds form along the Massachusetts coast from November through March. Some roosts have been used for over 100 years. The birds disperse inland to feed during the day.
– Nesting: Nest building starts in early spring, with peak egg laying in April and May. Both male and female crows help build the nest and feed nestlings. Young fledge by early summer.
Ravens
– Winter: Ravens are more dispersed in winter across Massachusetts but seek out food sources like landfills and livestock farms. Migrants arrive from farther north.
– Early breeding: Ravens are early nesters, with courtship starting in February. Nests are often 4-5 feet across and lined with a soft substrate like fur.
– Spring dispersal: By late March, raven pairs have finished nesting and break up their bonds. Young from previous years and non-breeders form flocks that roam widely.
– Summer: Ravens keep a low profile in summer while molting their flight feathers. They may congregate where food is abundant.
– Fall bonding: Adult pairs reunite in fall and juveniles form loose flocks. Courtship intensifes leading into the winter breeding season.
Interesting Facts
American Crow
– Tool users: American crows are among the most intelligent birds, using tools in the wild and solving complex problems. Their brain-to-body ratio exceeds chimpanzees and dolphins.
– Urban adapters: American crows thrive around humans and have expanded their range along with human development over the last 200 years. Their global population is increasing.
– Facial recognition: Crows have incredible memories and can recognize individual human faces. They pass down knowledge of threats to offspring for multiple generations.
– Trash eaters: About a quarter of a crow’s diet around humans comes from scavenging our garbage for tasty scraps of food. They help clean up waste but spread it too.
Common Raven
– Aerial acrobats: Common ravens perform dramatic aerial displays, including rolls, loops, dives and somersaults. They even play with objects like snowballs in mid-air.
– Voice virtuosos: Ravens have a huge vocabulary of different calls, over 30 types. They can even mimic human words and sounds like doorbells.
– Long-lived: Common ravens are one of the world’s longest living bird species. The oldest known wild raven was 17 years old. In captivity they can live up to 40 years.
– Wolf buddies: Ravens and wolves have a unique ecological relationship, alerting each other to food sources. Ravens lead wolves to carcasses and pick up leftovers in return. This symbiosis benefits both species.
Conservation Status
American Crow
– Least Concern: Thanks to its huge population and range, the American crow is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.
– Population increase: In fact, crows have greatly expanded their range over the last 200 years by adapting to human changes to the landscape. Their global population is increasing.
– Conflict with humans: One downside to crows’ close association with humans is conflict. Crows damage agricultural crops and their droppings can be a nuisance. Lethal control is sometimes used to manage crow flocks but is controversial.
Common Raven
– Least Concern: Like the crow, the common raven is globally numerous and widespread enough to be considered Least Concern by the IUCN. However, regional populations in eastern North America were very low historically.
– Recovering: Ravens disappeared from much of eastern North America by the early 1900s but are now recovering as mature forests regrow. Breeding Bird Survey data suggests eastern populations are increasing by over 5% per year.
– Still rare in East: The common raven’s population recovery is still in its early stages in areas like Massachusetts, where sightings of this large corvid are still unusual. Targeted conservation work continues.
Research and Monitoring
Several programs monitor crow and raven populations in Massachusetts:
Breeding Bird Survey
– Annual survey: The Breeding Bird Survey monitors bird population trends through annual roadside surveys conducted across North America. Over 4,000 survey routes are run each year, including over 60 routes in Massachusetts.
– Crow trend data: BBS data shows increasing trends for American Crow populations both statewide in Massachusetts and across North America as a whole since the 1960s when the surveys began.
– Raven estimates: The BBS also provides population estimates for the recovering Common Raven in Massachusetts, though the sample is small since ravens are still uncommonly encountered on surveys.
Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas
– Statewide survey: Conducted once per generation, atlases aim to document all bird species breeding in the state through comprehensive field surveys. The most recent atlas, done 2007-2011, provides updated information on distribution and breeding evidence for both crows and ravens statewide.
– Crow distribution: American Crows were confirmed nesting in 96% of survey blocks statewide, underlining their ubiquitous distribution. Fish Crows were restricted to coastal eastern Massachusetts.
– Raven comeback: The Atlas documented the ongoing range expansion of Common Ravens back into Massachusetts after being absent for over a century. Nesting was proven in 22 blocks.
Cape Cod Rookery Surveys
– Historic data: Since the 1930s, the number of American Crows in large winter roosts on Cape Cod has been monitored through evening fly-in counts. This provides long-term data on winter crow numbers and distribution in the state.
– Declining roosts: Analysis of the data shows the overall number of crows wintering on Cape Cod has declined since the 1970s, though roost locations have shifted over time. Reasons for the decline are unclear but could include displacement by growing Great Black-backed Gull populations.
– Roost shifts: When protected at some roost sites like Barnstable Harbor, crow numbers stabilized there but still declined at other historical Massachusetts roost locations like Wellfleet Bay since the 1970s.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both American crows and common ravens can be found in Massachusetts. The American crow is abundant and widespread, thriving alongside human development. In contrast, the common raven was extirpated from Massachusetts in the early 20th century but is now slowly returning as forests regrow and the population expands from other regions. Though still rare, ravens are increasingly being encountered in Massachusetts again, especially in western mountains and on Cape Cod. Ongoing monitoring programs track populations of these two intelligent and adaptable corvid species. With flexible habits that allow them to capitalize on food sources ranging from trash to carrion, crows and ravens look set to continue prospering in Massachusetts among both natural and human landscapes.