Fish Crow

Overview

Fish Crow: Medium-sized crow with black body and dark, heavy bill. Very similar to American Crow, but call is different. Feeds on fish, crustaceans, carrion, eggs, insects, larvae,fruits and berries. Flies on stiff wing beats, alternates several rapid wing strokes with long glides.

Range and Habitat

Fish Crow: Resident on Atlantic coast from Massachusetts and southern New England to Florida and along the Gulf coast west to Texas; found inland along larger rivers north to Illinois. Some northern birds migrate south in winter. Prefers low coastal country, near tidewater and pine barrens in the north; in the south, prefers coasts and inland lakes, rivers, and swamps.

The Fish Crow is currently classified as Least Concern. This bird species is native to the United States and Canada. It is sometimes also a visitor to the Bahamas. The range of the Fish Crow is large, reaching up to nearly 1 million square kilometers. The population of the Fish Crow is estimated at around 800,000 birds. A prior rating of Lower Risk was downgraded to the current rating of Least Concern to reflect the Fish Crow's range and population. The Fish Crow is not currently facing any immediate threats at this time.

INTERESTING FACTS

Fish Crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt. The nests are well-made, and one small area may have existing nests from up to four different years.
They appear to be more resistant to West Nile Virus than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for Fish Crows, compared with almost zero for American Crows.
The latest genetic testing indicates that they are closer to the Sinaloan Crow and Tamaulipas Crow, and are not as close to the American Crow as outward signs would suggest.
A group of crows has many collective nouns, including a "cauldron", "congress", "horde", "murder", and "muster" of crows.