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23

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) German name(s): "Aaskrähe" Size: 48-52 cm; wing span 85-100 cm Weight: 370-670 g

Europe: Family Group 23 Family Group 23 Table Eurasian Nutcracker Red-billed Chough Alpine Chough Eurasian Jay Western Jackdaw Hooded Crow Carrion Crow Rook Common Raven Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Carrion Crows are medium-sized corvids. Their plumage is all-black. The base of the dark-grey bill is covered with black feathers. The irises are black. The legs and feet are grey. Their most characteristic feature is the bill, which is stout, with a curved culmen.

Taxonomy, classification See Carrion Crow at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Carrion Crows have now been given species status and are no longer considered to be conspecific with the Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Carrion Crow is available HERE . Carrion Crows are found mainly in western and northern Europe, but there is a scattered population throughout central to eastern Asia as well, in particular in Korea and Japan. In Europe Carrion Crows are a sedentary species that is found only in central and western Europe, to the West of a line of the rivers Oder and Neisse in Germany that, in its continuation, wraps around the eastern edge of the Alps. In the North and West their range extends to southern Denmark and central Scotland. They are NOT found in the northern Scottish highlands or or Ireland. In the South-west their range extends to roughly the northern half of Iberia. Part of the Carrion Crow population that usually lives at high altitude in the Alps spends the winters in the Po River flatlands of northern Italy. Carrion Crows can live in a variety of habitats. If not desperate for a feed, e.g. in winter time, as nest robbers they are usually wary, also of humans. In winter they are often found in agricultural areas and around carrion (including road kill).

Sightings Click here for sighting information H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting Carrion Crows in Rüdesheim, Hessen, Germany, in November 2016. They are found in the same area semi-regularly since then. M. Thomas reports finding Carrion Crows in Eltville, Hessen, Germany, in February 2017. J. Pires reports finding Carrion Crows regularly in different areas in Portugal, and in particular from the Tejo estuary to Mora, Evora, Portugal. M. Eaton found Carrion Crows in Hyde Park, London, England, in September 2019. Carrion Crows were also found by H. Dahlem-Senger near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in September 2020.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2014]

Frontal view of a Carrion Crow looking sideways (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Rüdesheim, Hessen, Germany, November 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Zona de Protecao Especial, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Carrion Crow looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Carrion Crow looking at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Palhais, Barreiro, Setubal, Portugal, April 2014]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow looking at the observer (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Rüdesheim, Hessen, Germany, November 2016]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Sorraia, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, February 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a cawing Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2016]

Dorsal view of a Carrion Crow looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, May 2014]

Dorsal view of a Carrion Crow issuing its call (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2022]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Carrion Crow banking to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, November 2021]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Carrion Crow in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2019]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Carrion Crow in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a Carrion Crow banking to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, July 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Carrion Crow (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Jul

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 18 - 20 days

Fledging age: 29 - 30 days

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Carrion Crows mate for life and while the female is incubating their eggs the male will feed her. They may employ offspring from an earlier clutch as helpers when raising the next brood.

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, with wool/down lining

Height above ground: ?

Disused Carrion Crow nest (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2021]

Carrion Crow collecting material to line its nest (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2023]

Eggs

Size: 43 x 30 mm

Colour: Green-blueish, with copious mid-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Members of the genus Corvus are known to sometimes rinse food before eating it.

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow rinsing or retrieving something (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, September 2020]

Carrion Crow with an angler's hook it has found (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, September 2020]

Carrion Crow checking out the angler's hook it has found (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, September 2020]

It is not known whether the Carrion Crow tried to swallow the angler's hook (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, September 2020]

Food, Diet

Like all corvids, Carrion Crows are opportunistic omnivores.

Near-lateral view of a Carrion Crow swallowing its prey, which looks like a large insect (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow in flight with an old cob of corn (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2019]

Lateral view of a Carrion Crow with its next meal, probably an acorn (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2014]

Carrion Crow with a morsel of food (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Zona de Protecao Especial, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2020]

Carrion Crow foraging in shallow water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

carcrow_jp_20220216.mp3	(Portugal)	Contact calls ("cawing")	© JP
carcrow_jp_20200401.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (distant)	© JP
carcrow_jp_20200412.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact call (distant)	© JP
carcrow_jp_20230124.mp3	(Portugal)	Contact calls (distant)	© JP
carcrow_jp_20221231.mp3	(Portugal)	Begging calls(?)	© JP

More Carrion Crow sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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