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Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) Alternate name(s): "Grey Crow", "Scotch Crow", "Danish Crow" German name(s): "Nebelkrähe" Size: 48-54 cm; wing span: ca. 1.05 m Body mass: 360-600 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.34-0.39

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 Hooded Crows are medium-sized corvids Their head and a patch on the breast with irregular outer edges are black. Also the outer wing feathers and the tail are black. The entire rest of their plumage is black. The base of the dark-grey bill is covered with black feathers. The irises are black. The legs and feet are grey.

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

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 Hooded Crow is available HERE . Hooded Crows populate an area that is complementary to the range of the Carrion Crow, with limited hybridization near the border. Hooded Crows are found in Ireland and northern Scotland, Denmark and all of Scandivania and, in continental Europe, roughly eastward of the Oder-Neisse line and southward and eastward of the Alps. Their range extends from that line eastwards and southwards, from all of Italy and the eastern Mediterranean into Asia Minor and the northern Middle East, but also the river Nile delta. They are found northward of a line from Israel to Kuwait to western Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan to about Novosibirsk in Russia and northward along that geographic longitude, to about +70 degrees latitude. In Europe nominate race "cornix" is found in the areas described above. Hooded 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 Race "cornix" D. Wilczynska reports spotting Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in January 2015. They are seen in the same area occasionally throughout the year. D. Wilczynska also spotted Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", near Bergen, Norway, in May 2016. Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", were also spotted by D. Wilczynska in Santa Caterina di Puttinuri, near Cuglieri, western Sardinia, Italy, in June 2016. M. Thomas reports finding a Hooded Crow, nominate race "cornix", in Odense, Denmark, in September 2017. H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", at Naturschutzgebiet (Nature Reserve) Wallnau/Fehmarn, on the German Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, Germany, in June 2018. M. Eaton found Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, in June 2018. Another Hooded Crow, nominate race "cornix", was found by M. Eaton in Split, Croatia, in September 2019. G. Normand found Hooded Crows, nominate race "cornix", in Kosovo in August 2021. C. Pears found a Hooded Crow, nominate race "cornix", at Clonakilty, County York, and at Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, in September 2023. Others were found in various parts of Denmark and Norway in September 2024.

Photos

Race "cornix"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of two Hooded Crows, together with two Western Jackdaws (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Near-frontal view of a Hooded Crow, together with two Western Jackdaws (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Santa Caterina di Puttinuri, near Cuglieri, western Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2024]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, September 2023]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, September 2023]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Odense, Denmark, September 2017]

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow, now looking away (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Santa Caterina di Puttinuri, near Cuglieri, western Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Hooded Crow patrolling along a coastline (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, September 2023]

Dorsal view of a Hooded Crow looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, September 2023]

Hooded Crow, together with other corvids, namely a Rook, back left, and Western Jackdaws, front and right
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Two Hooded Crows and a Western Jackdaw (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

Comparison between a Hooded Crow and an immature Great [White] Egret (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Hooded Crow at take-off (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Clonakilty, County Cork, Ireland, September 2023]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair/mob

Hooded Crows in the northern and north-eastern parts of their European range are migratory while the rest of the population is mostly sedentary.

Like other species of species of corvids (ravens/crows), Hooded Crows can sometimes be seen rinsing food stuff before eating it.

Lateral view of a Hooded Crow (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Food, Diet

Like all corvids, Hooded Crows are opportunistic omnivores.

Hooded Crows and Western Jackdaws pecking at something hidden under snow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Brok, Masovia, Poland, January 2015]

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.

hoodcrw_dw_20180609.m4a	cornix (Poland)	Contact calls?	© DW
hoodcrw_dw_20180525.m4a	cornix (Poland)	Contact calls? (with Hoopoe)	© DW
hoodcrw_dw_20180609_2.m4a	cornix (Poland)	Annoyed/warning calls	© DW

More Hooded 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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