Alternative names: Common Crow; Eurasian Crow; Oriental Crow (orientalis); Mesopotamian Crow (capellanus)
- Corvus corone
Includes Hooded Crow
Identification
48-54cm. A compact crow:
- Corone and orientalis with all black plumage with a green or purple sheen
- Hooded Crow with black hood, ashy grey nape, side of neck, mantle, scapulars, rump and some uppertail-coverts. Rest black.
- Dark brown iris
- Black, stout bill
- Legs dark grey to black
Sexes similar, juveniles with duller plumage. Hybrids between corone and cornix (or other subspecies) occur regularly.
Similar species
Corone may be confused with young Rook. The shape of head and the flight are quite different.
Distribution
Most of western Europe to the most eastern points of northern Asia.
Common or abundant in most of its range despite persecution by gamekeepers and farmers.
Taxonomy
Subspecies1
Hooded Crow cornix complex:
- C. c. cornix - Northern Europe to Yenisey Valley, Ukraine, Corsica and southern Italy
- C. c. sharpii - Mainland Italy to Yugoslavia, Asia Minor, northern Iran and Kazakhstan
- C. c. pallescens - Coastal southern Turkey to Levant, northern Iraq and Egypt
- C. c. capellanus - Southern Iraq and adjacent south-western Iran
Status of Hooded Crow cornix complex
Clements (2007) treats Hooded Crow (C. (corone?) cornix, including sharpii, pallescens, and capellanus) as a full species, citing the recommendation of Parkin et al. (2003)2. However, Howard & Moore (2003) and Sibley & Monroe (1996) retain the Hooded Crow cornix complex within Carrion Crow (C. corone) and the Opus awaits further clarification. See BirdForum threads discussing this taxonomic discrepancy here and here.
Habitat
Found almost anywhere from coast to moorland, even city centres. 3
Behaviour
Ingenious adaption to all urban environments and intelligent. Can be observed sitting atop of trafficlights and dropping hardcased nuts onto the streets below so to make use of the crushing effects of traffic; and will retrieve the contents at a 'red' signal.
Diet
The diet includes carrion, insects, worms, seeds, fruit and scraps.
Breeding
Breeding season generally in northern spring. A pair stays often together over several years and throughout the year. Usually a solitary nester. The large nest is built by both sexes and is made out of sticks. It's usually placed high in a tall tree. Nests on buildings, electricity pylons or cliffs are also known. Lays 4 eggs. The chicks leave the nest after 32 days. In some parts of the range Great Spotted Cuckoo may parasitize the nest.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Corvus corone (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
- Parkin, D.T., M. Collison, A. Helbig, A.G. Knox, and G. Sangster. 2003. "The taxonomic status of Carrion and Hooded Crows." British Birds. 96 (6): 274–90.
- RSPB
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Carrion Crow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Carrion_Crow
External Links
