The scientific name for the American Crow is Corvus brachyrhynchos. The genus name Corvus is Latin for “crow” and the species name brachyrhynchos comes from the Greek words brachy meaning “short” and rhynchos meaning “bill”, referring to the crow’s short, thick beak.
Quick Facts on the American Crow
Here are some quick facts about the American Crow:
- Scientific Name: Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Other Common Names: Common Crow, Eastern Crow
- Average Length: 17-21 inches
- Average Wingspan: 33-39 inches
- Average Weight: 11-21 ounces
- Lifespan: 7-8 years in the wild, over 20 years in captivity
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
- Key Identifying Features: Completely black plumage, black legs, feet and bill, heavy black beak
- Habitat: Variety of open habitats including fields, parks, agricultural areas
- Diet: Omnivorous – insects, grains, fruits, small animals, carrion
- Behavior: Highly social, lives in family groups called “murders”, excellent problem-solving skills
Description
The American Crow is an intelligent and highly adaptable all-black bird found widely across North America. It is medium-sized for a bird, measuring 17-21 inches in length with a wingspan of 33-39 inches and weighing 11-21 ounces. The American Crow has glossy black plumage covering its entire body, including its legs, feet and stout black bill. Its tail is square-shaped when spread open.
American Crows can be identified by their entirely coal-black coloration and distinctive cawing vocalizations. Their calls include a wide array of caws, rattles, coos and clicks used for communication. Crows use different calls to signal alarm, share food sources, attract mates and identify each other.
Habitat and Range
American Crows are highly adaptable birds found across much of North America. They thrive in a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats including agricultural fields, parks, pastures, meadows, woodland edges, marshes and human residential areas. They typically avoid dense forest interiors.
The American Crow’s breeding range extends across southern Canada and the United States into northern Mexico. Many populations in the northern parts of the range migrate south for the winter, while southern populations may be year-round residents. The total population is extremely large and estimated at over 31 million individuals.
Diet and Feeding
American Crows have an extremely varied and omnivorous diet. They are opportunistic feeders and eat a wide range of foods based on local availability. Their diet commonly includes:
- Insects and other invertebrates
- Seeds and grains
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Eggs and nestlings of other birds
- Small mammals, amphibians and reptiles
- Carrion from roadkill and other carcasses
- Human garbage and scraps
Crows employ a range of foraging techniques to find food. They scan fields from perches or while soaring before swooping down to investigate potential food sources on the ground. Crows sometimes follow fence lines looking for insects and small prey. They also raid trash bins and landfills near human sites. Foraging is often done in pairs or family groups that can share food sources.
Breeding and Nesting
American Crows breed during the spring and summer months. They usually form monogamous breeding pairs that may mate for life. Courtship rituals include loud calling and aerobatic flight displays.
The female builds a large nest out of twigs, sticks, grass and moss in the branches of a tree. Nest height is typically 10-70 feet above ground. She lays 3-7 eggs and incubates them for about 18 days. Both parents feed and care for the young, which fledge from the nest around 4-5 weeks old.
Behavior and Intelligence
American Crows exhibit incredibly sophisticated behaviors and intelligence compared to many other birds. They have large brains relative to their body size and are able to solve complex problems and challenges in the wild.
Crows live in social family flocks that sometimes join together into large winter roosts numbering in the thousands or even millions of birds. They appear to recognize individual human faces and remember if particular people threatened them in the past.
Experiments have shown crows can make and use tools, count numbers, infer causal relationships, solve multi-step problems and possibly even communicate in a simple language. Their intelligence and adaptability help crows thrive near humans.
Threats and Conservation
Although still abundant, American Crow populations declined in some parts of their range due to habitat loss and poisoning campaigns earlier in the 20th century. However, they have bounced back strongly in recent decades.
Crows face threats from habitat loss as forests are cleared and wetlands drained. They are sometimes still poisoned due to their predation on crops and game animals. They are also killed by vehicles when feeding on roadkill.
However, American Crows remain widespread and common over much of their habitat. Their total population size is estimated at over 31 million and they are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Fun Facts
- Crows sometimes play by sliding down snowy rooftops and making snow angels.
- Groups of crows are called “murders”.
- Crows hold “funerals” for dead crows, gathering around the dead body and making loud cawing sounds.
- Crows can mimic sounds they hear including other birds, dogs barking, etc.
- Crows can remember individual human faces and hold grudges against people who have wronged them.
- Crows are one of the few bird species that are tool users. They use sticks and other objects to probe for food and even make simple hooks.
Conclusion
The American Crow is a highly intelligent, social and adaptable bird found across North America. Its scientific name is Corvus brachyrhynchos, referring to its genus Corvus meaning “crow” and species name brachyrhynchos meaning “short-billed”. American Crows thrive in a wide range of open habitats and have extremely varied diets. They exhibit complex behaviors and advanced problem-solving abilities that enable them to live successfully alongside humans.