| Carrion Crow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Corvus |
| Species: | Corvus corone |
The Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) is a common, medium-sized Corvid.
It is feathered around the base of the bill unlike the Rook. It is a scavenger that will feed on carrion (hence the name), small mammals, birds, frogs, insects and vegetable matter. Unlike the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), the Carrion Crow is a solitary nester, though they will often be found roosting communally.
Description[]
The plumage of Carrion Crow is black with a green or purple sheen, much greener than the gloss of the Rook. The bill, legs and feet are also black. It can be distinguished from the Common Raven by its size (48–52 cm or 18 to 21 inches in length) and tail shape (squared instead of wedge-shaped) and from the Hooded Crow by its black plumage, but there is frequent confusion between it and the Rook. Notice that the beak of the crow is stouter and in consequence looks shorter, and whereas in the adult Rook the nostrils are bare, those of the Crow are covered at all ages with bristle-like feathers.
Voice[]
Calls include a hoarse, rolling croak repeated 3-4 times and a hard honk.
Behaviour[]
A gregarious corvid, especially outside of the breeding season, the Carrion Crow tends to forage and roost in groups. At sunset, dozens of Carrion Crows can be seen flying together to their roosting sites. The Carrion Crow is generally resident, though minor seasonal movements may occur. For example, crows that breed in the mountains may winter in the lowlands nearby.
Breeding[]
The Carrion Crow is a monogamous species. The nest, built by both sexes high in a tree, on a pylon or on a building, is made of four layers: an outer cup of thick twigs cemented with a layer of soil, a layer of fine twigs, roots, earth and grass, and a layer of hair and dark fibres. Carrion Crow nests are often re-utilized by other birds, especially raptors. From April to June depending on the area, the female lays 3-6 brown-speckled greenish eggs and incubates them for 18-19 days whilst the male brings her food. The young fledge 30-36 days after hatching.
Feeding[]
Like its relatives, the Carrion Crow is omnivorous, feeding on grain, acorns, fruit, insects, larvae, small vertebrates, eggs, and, as its name suggests, dead animals. Carrion Crows are often seen eating roadkill or raiding the nests of small birds for the eggs and chicks.
Distribution and habitat[]
a Carrion Crow among Hooded Crows in the Italian Alps.
a typical HoodedxCarrion hybrid.
The Carrion Crow occupies the same ecological niche as the Hooded Crow, and completely replaces it in most of western Europe. This includes the Iberian peninsula, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain (but not Scotland and Ireland), Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Carrion Crows may occasionally winter south of the Alps. Interbreeding is frequent in the narrow areas of contact between the two species, such as northern Scotland, the Alps, and eastern Germany. The hybrid offspring usually shows an intermediate plumage, not completely black but generally darker that a normal Hooded Crow's.
The Carrion Crow breeds in open woodland, on moors and wooded shores, and in farming areas and parks. It is found as high as 2000 m above the sea level.