Our Resident American Crow

Princess

Brought to the Sharon Audubon Center: Fall 1995

History: Princess was raised from a baby by a loving human family. However, baby animals learn a lot from their parents and in Princess' case, she began to think she was human rather than a crow! When Princess was "set free" in Cornwall, she began to fly down to play with the people of the town.  Sometimes, she would startle people and they would swat at her putting her in danger of becoming injured. Princess is fully flighted, but would not survive in the wild because the other wild crows do not accept Princess. She does not associate herself with other crows, does not communicate with them, and would rather play with a human than any other bird.  Princess loves to have visitors and imitate lots of sounds. Princess is a favorite among Sharon Audubon Center visitors, however, it is important to understand that raising a wild animal as a pet is not only illegal, but also is not in the best interest of the animal.

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Average Height = 17-21 inches

Average Weight = ½ - 1 pound, males are slightly heavier

Wingspan = 2 ½ - 3 feet

Lifespan = 6-8 years in wild, up to 20 years in captivity

Description:  The American Crow is a lustrous black bird from its beak to its tail, including its claws.  Both sexes have similar appearance, and are difficult to tell apart.  Adults have brown colored eyes while immature birds have blue eyes. 

Call:  The most commonly heard call is a series of  “caws.”  Caw, caw, caw!  However, crows often mimic other birds and even humans when in captivity.  Crows are known to use about sixty-four different calls and signals to communicate.

Range:  American Crows are year-round residents in most of the United States, and summer residents in much of Canada. 

Habitat:  American Crows can be found practically anywhere, from open farmlands to dense forests.

Diet:  Crows are not picky eaters.  They are omnivores, eating everything from grains and  fruit to carrion, insects and young robbed from the nests of other birds.  Crows can often be seen in cornfields and pumpkin fields in the fall, and are commonly seen around garbage dumps feeding on food scraps.

Nest:  Crows have well-built nests of twigs and branches lined with a variety of objects such as leaves, mosses, bark, seaweed, roots, rags and wool.  They are often built in the crotch of a tree in the forest.

Other Notes: The American Crow is considered one of the largest songbirds in North America.  They are very gregarious, or social animals, and are known to be very noisy, bold and active, often mobbing larger birds such as hawks and owls.  Crows are also known to possess a high degree of intelligence and adaptability.

Did you know…Crows, along with all other migratory birds, are federally protected which makes it illegal to possess one of these animals without a proper permit?  Having a nest, egg, or even a feather in a person’s possession is illegal.