Carrion Crow / Hooded Crow hybrid? Switzerland (1 Viewer)

[Brosnabirder]

Hello all,

Is this bird a Carrion Crow / Hooded Crow hybrid or just a normal plumage variation in Carrion Crow?

Could it also be a throwback and have some Hooded Crow genes in its distant past?

Seen in central Switzerland. Hooded Crow is also found in Switzerland but in Ticino / Tessin in the far south. This bird was seen about 100 km north of that area.

Thanks for any answers
Tom

 

[Iraq Babbler]

Hello

I think it is still a CC and the whitish on the neck is not a plumage coloration.

The bird look like he molting or lost the neck feather due to certain circumstances, could be a fighting with other Crow, However, I can exclude avian disorder.

Omar

 

[Zheljko]

Without looking at some HC pictures I am not sure if that particular patch of feathers at sides of neck is grey in Hooded Crow, it might be black, in which case this bird has partial albinism or leucism (there is also some grey at flanks).

 

[tconzemi]

Hello

I think it is still a CC and the whitish on the neck is not a plumage coloration.

The bird look like he molting or lost the neck feather due to certain circumstances, could be a fighting with other Crow, However, I can exclude avian disorder.

Omar

completely agree, some damage with visible lighter downy feathers

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I agree that this a Carrion Crow. I live in a 'hybrid zone' so see variations quite a bit. Even a hybrid crow with only a small amount of grey feathering will tend to show some aspects of Hooded Crow plumage e.g. the grey/black lower boundary of the throat patch:
http://www.pbase.com/ianfulton/image/85957753

 

[Brosnabirder]

Thanks for the replies

 

[jpoyner]

I agree that this a Carrion Crow. I live in a 'hybrid zone' so see variations quite a bit. Even a hybrid crow with only a small amount of grey feathering will tend to show some aspects of Hooded Crow plumage e.g. the grey/black lower boundary of the throat patch:
http://www.pbase.com/ianfulton/image/85957753

I second that, having seen many hybrids here in Inverness-shire there is always an obvious Hooded Crow appearance to hybrids with varying degrees of black feathering in the grey areas. This just seems to be some aberrant feathering.