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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. XLVI
Field-journal plate: American Crow
The American Crow plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate XLVI

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Corvidae · Taxon 8021

Length16–21 in (41–53 cm)
Wingspan34–39 in (86–99 cm)
Weight11–22 oz (311–623 g)

Field marks

  1. Large, all-black corvid with a robust, moderately sized black bill.
  2. Adult plumage is glossy black, often showing a subtle blue-violet sheen in good light.
  3. Dark eyes, black legs, and strong black feet.
  4. Broad wings show five conspicuous, fingered primary tips in flight.
  5. Tail is short and square-tipped to slightly rounded, not wedge-shaped.
  6. Usually flies with steady, methodical wingbeats.

HabitatAdaptable in open or semi-open places with trees and reliable food, including woodlands, forest edges, fields, farmland, shorelines, wetlands, and human-modified green spaces; generally avoids extensive unbroken forest and deserts.

BehaviorDiurnal, social omnivore that commonly forages on the ground; extended family groups may cooperate in rearing young, and large communal roosts can form outside the breeding season.

Palette

glossy blackblue-black sheencharcoal blackdark brown-black eyeslate-black legs and bill