While trying to help ID Japanese birds at inaturalist I often come across crow photos that either don't show enough for an easy ID or -more often- show a bird that is not your typical Large-billed Crow or Carrion Crow. Of course ID-webpages that treat this couple are mainly focusing on the more typical birds.
Yet it is astounding how many birds do not seem to fit the standard.
What to do with those birds. In the field they are often obvious enough. But single photos or even short series often do not reveal the necessary detail to clinch an ID.
Now I think I am seeing a difference in the feathery saddle on the bills of many of these birds. I can't find it as an ID-feature so I am probably wrong (or at least often wrong) but I will pose it to you anyway
It seems that Carrion Crow usually has a fairly straight cut saddle at the front
Whereas Large-billed Crow usually has a forward pointing saddle often with a large wedge of bare bill on top.
Mind: obvious Large-billed with straightish saddle: Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
other supposed features of (typical) Large-billed over Carrion Crow
-curved line between upper and lower mandible
-long/broad tail
-blueish shine on mantle
-steep forehead
what to make of these? I wonder (nb. records are not mine)
1. - Crows and Ravens (Genus Corvus)
2. - Crows and Ravens (Genus Corvus)
3. - Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Not sure if this is the right forum but it concerns the id of a ton of crows in the far east...so...
attached is an obvious Large-billed Crow (Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)) and a less obvious Carrion Crow (Carrion Crow Macaulay Library ML234124601)
hope to read from you
cheers,
Gerben
Yet it is astounding how many birds do not seem to fit the standard.
What to do with those birds. In the field they are often obvious enough. But single photos or even short series often do not reveal the necessary detail to clinch an ID.
Now I think I am seeing a difference in the feathery saddle on the bills of many of these birds. I can't find it as an ID-feature so I am probably wrong (or at least often wrong) but I will pose it to you anyway
It seems that Carrion Crow usually has a fairly straight cut saddle at the front
Whereas Large-billed Crow usually has a forward pointing saddle often with a large wedge of bare bill on top.
Mind: obvious Large-billed with straightish saddle: Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
other supposed features of (typical) Large-billed over Carrion Crow
-curved line between upper and lower mandible
-long/broad tail
-blueish shine on mantle
-steep forehead
what to make of these? I wonder (nb. records are not mine)
1. - Crows and Ravens (Genus Corvus)
2. - Crows and Ravens (Genus Corvus)
3. - Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Not sure if this is the right forum but it concerns the id of a ton of crows in the far east...so...
attached is an obvious Large-billed Crow (Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)) and a less obvious Carrion Crow (Carrion Crow Macaulay Library ML234124601)
hope to read from you
cheers,
Gerben
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