American Crow

Descrizione

The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. They are a common bird found throughout much of North America, only absent from the tundra biome. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow and the hooded crow of Eurasia, occupying similar ecological niches. American crows have all-black plumage, with iridescent feathers. They look similar to other all-black corvids. They are highly intelligent, similar to other Corvidae, and are adaptable to human environments. The American crow can be distinguished from the common raven by their smaller size and a slightly less pronounced beak and from the carrion crow by their size, as the carrion crow is larger and of a stockier build. American crows can be difficult to distinguish from the fish crow; however, fish crows tend to fluff their throat feathers when calling. They are omnivores, feeding on insects, seeds, nuts, and preying on small animals. They also rarely feed on carrion, leading to associations with death, thieves, and bad luck in some cultures; however, in Native American and some Gaelic cultures, crows are considered good luck due to their intelligence.