Beak of the Week – American Crow | Celebrating #BlackBirdersWeek

In celebration of Black Birders Week, this week we are highlighting the fascinating world of corvids! American Crows are a familiar sight across most of the United States and Canada. They may be found in almost any habitat, and eat a wide variety of different foods, including carrion, nuts, berries, insects, rodents, fish, and even eggs and young birds. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, American Crows were widely regarded as agricultural pests. Today, they thrive in cities, parks, and other human-altered landscapes. They are very similar in appearance to Fish Crows, which are found on the Atlantic Coast and southeastern United States. The easiest and most reliable way to distinguish them is by their voice: Fish Crows give nasal “cah” or “uh-uh” calls, while American Crows give a classic “caw!” call (but be aware that young American Crows give nasal begging calls that may sound similar to a Fish Crow).

Social and intelligent, crows exhibit a variety of fascinating behaviors; they have been observed playing with objects such as twigs and leaves, and form large flocks at communal roosts, sometimes numbering in the thousands! They are also famous for holding “funerals”, during which flocks will gather around a dead crow, as though in mourning. It’s thought that these gatherings are actually investigations, and opportunities for flocks to identify potential threats in the area. Their sociality, problem-solving skills, and incredible memory are part of why crows are so successful, especially in ever-changing urban and suburban landscapes.