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17 views3 pages

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Syed Misbahul Islam
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Science  Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates  Birds

crow  Actions
bird
Also known as: Corvus
Written by Sy Montgomery
Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: Dec 11, 2024 • Article History

Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question

crow, (genus Corvus), any of various


glossy black birds found in most parts of 
the world, with the exception of southern
South America. Crows are generally
smaller and not as thick-billed as ravens,
which belong to the same genus. A large
majority of the 40 or so Corvus species
are known as crows, and the name has
been applied to other, unrelated birds.
Large crows measure about 0.5 metre
Carrion crow (Corvus corone corone).
(20 inches) long, with wingspans that
can reach 1 metre (39 inches).

Crows feed chiefly on the ground, where


they walk about purposefully. They are

omnivores that enjoy meat and may even
attack and kill young, weak animals. This
habit makes them unpopular with
farmers, as does the bird’s propensity to
raid grain crops. Berries, insects, the
eggs of other birds, and carrion are also
eaten. Crows will make off with shreds of American crow American crow (Corvus
brachyrhynchos).
roadkill and store tidbits in trees,
caching the meat like a leopard does for
later consumption. Sometimes they bury seeds or store them in crevices in bark.
They occasionally steal food from other animals, sometimes cooperating with
birds may show exceptional intelligence.
The pair bond is strong, lifelong in some 
species. The male helps to build the nest,
which is a mass of twigs in a tree or on a
ledge, sometimes in large colonies; he
feeds the female while she incubates the
two to nine eggs.

Some corvids are notorious nest-robbers,


and others damage grain crops; they also Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius)
eat quantities of noxious insects,
however, and are useful scavengers. A
few cold-country species store acorns and pine nuts for winter use; the caches
they overlook are important in reforestation.

The larger, shorter-tailed species, of


Related Topics: crow • raven • jay •
sombre appearance, occur worldwide magpie • nutcracker
except in South America. See chough; See all related content
crow; jackdaw; nutcracker; raven; rook.
The smaller, more colourful species,
often long-tailed or crested, are most numerous in South America and
southeastern Asia. See jay; magpie.

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This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.
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