Fish crow

Fish crow

Fish crow

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Corvus ossifragus
Weight
195-330
6.9-11.6
goz
g oz 
Length
36-40
14.2-15.7
cminch
cm inch 
Wingspan
0
0
mminch
mm inch 

The fish crow (Corvus ossifragus ) is a species of crow associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States.

Di

Diurnal

Om

Omnivore

Ar

Arboreal

Zo

Zoochory

Gl

Gliding

Te

Terrestrial

Te

Territorial

Mo

Monogamy

So

Social

Mi

Migrating

F

starts with

Appearance

The fish crow is a small bird, with an average adult weight of 280–320 grams (9.9–11.3 oz) in males and 247–293 grams (8.7–10.3 oz) in females. The average male wingspan is similarly larger at 278–292 millimetres (10.9–11.5 in), compared to 264–277 millimetres (10.4–10.9 in) in females. The total body length is between 36–40 centimetres (14–16 in).

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The fish crow is superficially similar to the American crow, but is smaller and has a silkier, smoother plumage by comparison. The upperparts have a blue or blue-green sheen, while the underparts have a more greenish tint to the black. The eyes are dark brown. The differences are often only really apparent between the two species when seen side by side or when heard calling. The bill is usually somewhat slimmer than the American crow, but is only readily distinguishable if both species are seen together.

Visual differentiation from the American crow is extremely difficult and often inaccurate. Nonetheless, differences apart from size do exist. Fish crows tend to have more slender bills and feet. There may also be a small sharp hook at the end of the upper bill. Fish crows also appear as if they have shorter legs when walking. More dramatically, when calling, fish crows tend to hunch and fluff their throat feathers.

The voice is the most outwardly differing characteristic for this species and other American crow species. The call of the fish crow has been described as a nasal "ark-ark-ark" or a begging "waw-waw". Birders often distinguish the two species (in areas where their range overlaps) with the mnemonic aid "Just ask him if he is an American crow. If he says "no", he is a fish crow." referring to the fact that the most common call of the American crow is a distinct "caw caw", while that of the fish crow is a nasal "nyuh unh". The fish crow also has a single call sounding like "cahrrr".

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Distribution

Geography

Continents
Biogeographical realms

This species occurs on the eastern seaboard of the United States from Rhode Island south to Key West, and west along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Mexico and follows many river systems inland for quite some distance. Coastal marshes and beaches, rivers, inland lakes and marshes, river banks, and the land immediately surrounding all are frequented.

Fish crow habitat map

Climate zones

Fish crow habitat map

Habits and Lifestyle

Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Food is taken mainly from the ground or shallow water where the bird hovers and plucks food items out of the water with its feet. The fish crow is omnivorous. It feeds on small crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimps, other invertebrates, stranded fish, and live fish if the situation favors their capture, eggs and nestlings of birds, small reptiles, the fruits of many trees, peanuts, and grains, as well as human scraps where available.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
INDEPENDENT AGE
62 to 70 days

The nest is usually built high in a tree and is often accompanied in nearby trees with other nests of the same species forming small, loose colonies. Usually, four or five eggs are laid. Pale blue-green in colour, they bear blotches of olive-brown. Fish crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt. A pair of fish crows were reported to have raised a young blue jay for multiple weeks.

Population

Conservation

This species appears to be somewhat more resistant to West Nile virus than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for fish crows, compared with near zero for American crows.

References

1. Fish crow Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_crow
2. Fish crow on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22705993/94045235
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/661002

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