A Coastal Cousin of the American Crow, the Fish Crow

Find out what fish crows eat, where they reside, and how to differentiate a fish crow from an American crow – it may be difficult!

Just How Does a Fish Crow Look?

If you’ve ever seen an American crow, you already know what this other corvid looks like. (The two species are quite similar.) The whole body of this crow species, from its wings to its eyes, is all black, much like American crows. Their backs also have a little glossy iridescence. Male and female fish crows seem similar generally, except males have somewhat bigger beaks than females.

What’s the difference between an American and a Fish Crow?

Even for specialists, it can be challenging to tell the two corvids apart. Fish crows are, however, a little smaller and have a shorter wingspan than American crows—about five inches. Moreover, they are more commonly observed around bodies of water. American crows often reside farther inland. They are found all around the country and have a far greater range than fish crows.

Listening to them will make it simpler to distinguish between the two. The nasally uh uh cry of fish crows may be distinguished from the caw caw of an American crow.

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What Does a Crow Eat Fish?

These birds, although having a name that implies they like fish, are finicky eaters and will consume practically anything, even trash. Around shorelines and in shallow water, as well as occasionally in fields, they feed in flocks. Because to their proximity to water, they consume more seafood than American crows, including crabs, shrimp, turtle eggs, and other creatures from the sea.

In addition, they prey on other birds’ eggs and fledglings when they attack nests for food. The nests of waterbirds, such as ibis, herons, terns, and ducks, are most likely to be raided, but these aggressive birds will also target red-winged blackbird, blue jay, northern mockingbird, and other nests. To crack open the shells of mollusks, they have also been observed picking them up and dropping them from the air.

Range and Habitat of Fish Crows

Fish crows are most frequently observed in the southeastern coast of the United States, while their range is growing. They tend to stay to beaches, lakes, rivers, marshlands, and estuaries, and may be found as far north as New England, south as the Gulf of Mexico, and along the Mississippi River up into southern Illinois. Yet, they occasionally travel into the woods and fields in search of food. These corvids do not migrate, however during the winter, certain fish crows that are found more inland will travel closer to the coast.

Embryos and nests

A loose nesting colony is formed by multiple pairs instead of only one pair building its own nest. This indicates that they construct their nests quite close to one another, typically within 100 yards, creating a kind of unofficial fish crow neighbourhood. It takes the female around 10 days to finish constructing the nest. She gathers the components and, with some assistance from the male, constructs the platform nest.

The hefty sticks that make up the nest are coated with dirt, bark, moss, and occasionally even dung. It is constructed squeezing into the fork of a deciduous tree. A little more than two weeks pass before the eggs hatch after the female lays four or five (but occasionally as many as six) eggs. Fish crow eggs have brown markings and are a drab blue-green colour. The male and female fish crows most certainly feed their nestlings, however this is not known for sure.