American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
-Thought to be amongst the most intelligent birds
-Highly adaptable birds
-Common in farmlands, rural areas, and even cities where civilization is booming
-Opportunistic feeders that feed primarily on the ground:
*Animal matter: insects, spiders, snails, earthworms, frogs, small snakes, shellfish, carrion, garbage, eggs and young birds
(they sometimes carry mollusks high in the air and then drop them onto rocks to crack open their shells)
*Plant matter: seeds, grains, berries, and fruit
-Highly social birds that can often be found in very large groups roosting together in groves
-Distinctive features: all black (like the common raven, though smaller); distinctive “caw” sound
-Offspring from previous breeding seasons assist in the feeding of the young once born
-Nests are in trees or large shrubs, usually at a vertical fork or at the base of a branch against a trunk
-Nests are built by both sexes and are bulky baskets made of sticks, twigs, barks, weeds, and mud, lined with softer materials like grasses and moss or feathers
-Offspring: Usually 4-6 dull blue-green to gray-green eggs, blotched with brown and gray, are laid and incubated by the female
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
We have one American crow and one common raven. Using the information you just read (and the information for the raven), can you tell them apart?