And,
especially for the little Willow girl.
And, for
you too, dear "Poe", may you always be happy wherever
you are.
General Corvine
Information
Crows belong to the
family Corvidae. Crows are
believed to be the most intelligent of their species. There is
very little wonder why they have been revered and worshipped over
the centuries.
Physical
characteristics
Size -
The American Crow, Corvus
brachyrynchos, when fully grown is 17" to 21"
(from tip of bill to tip of tail). Weight when fully grown;
approximately one pound.
Differentiation of
sexes -
There is no way to tell
by physical appearance alone, as to whether a crow is male or
female. DNA testing of blood will indicate sex. Close study of
crows in their daily life, especially during nesting season may
provide a clue as to sex, however, this is not something that
many people will be able to observe.
Coloration -
Crows are black for a
very good reason. This is for identification of their own kind. A
crow can easily identify another crow in the distance, during the
day, because black is very visible during the day.
However, at night, the
black coloration helps to protect it from predators. Black is not
easily seen during the night, when a crow is most vulnerable.
Life Expectancy -
Crows in the wild can
live to be 10 years old +/- 2 to 3 years. However, predators and
disease often shorten this by a few years.
The oldest known wild
American Crow was 29 1/2 years old (Dilling, 1988, Ontario Bird
Banding Association Newsletter 22:2-3.) The second oldest known,
however, was only 14 years, 7 months old (Clapp et. al., 1983,
Journal of Field Ornithology, 54(2): 123-137).
Diet -
Crows will eat just
about anything. You are bound to find them feasting at fast food
restaurant parking lots. They will eat bugs, worms, roadkill,
mice, berries, corn, and a variety of other tasty treats. An
adult crow needs 11 ounces of food each day. Many people believe
that crows damage farm crops. This is not always true. Crows
often eat harmful insects, benefitting farmers.
Family life -
Crows are very social
in nature. Interaction with their own kind is extremely important
to them.
Male crows will
"court" their desired female. The male will fluff his
feathers, strut, and fly by, in his attempts to win over the
female. Once mated, crows usually mate for life.
Not only will crows
defend and protect their own family, but they will come to the
aid of unrelated crows in need or distress.
Crows are cooperative
breeders. Both crow parents take turns sitting on the eggs. All
family members help in the care of the brood. As nesting season
arrives, the juveniles from prior years, along with their
parents, will help gather nesting material. The crow mother-to-be
will arrange the nesting materials into a soft comfy nest.
The
number of eggs in a clutch is usually 4 to 6. 
Intelligence -
Crows are extremely
intelligent, quite possibly the most intelligent of their
species. Their tight family unit is partial evidence of this.
It has been recently
discovered that crows have been making use of tools in their
daily activities. The following link will take you to an article
about crows using tools. "Tool-Using Crows Give New Meaning to Term
'Bird Brained'" Prior to this discovery, we
"intelligent" humans thought only primates had this
ability.
It has been said that
crows have been know to be able to count. (Whether this has been
scientifically determined is uncertain.) A story is usually told
about three hunters going into a hunter's blind. They wait, the
crows know they are in there. The crows do not move into shooting
range. Two hunters leave the blind, however the crows know that
there is one more in there. When the third hunter leaves, the
crows know that all are gone and resume their normal activity.
Whether or not this is true, I do not know. I have read it often
enough that I am sure that someone has witnessed this occurrence.
Crows have extremely
good memory. "A crow never forgets", especially when it
comes to something to be feared, or where they placed their cache
of food for later consumption.
Enemies and Predators -
Owls and hawks are two
of the crows' enemies. Crows will often gather together and mob
an offending or intruding owl or hawk.
Man, at
times, can also be considered an enemy of the crow. Those who
hunt crows are certainly enemies. 
Geographic distribution
-
Crows are found all
over the world, except for New Zealand, Antarctica, and South
America.
Crows
have grown quite accustomed to human development. Crows are found
in both the city and in the country. They now thrive on the trash
we humans discard. Early morning trash can or dumpster dinings
are very common. If anyone is to be blamed for the
"explosion" in the crow population, it is us
"lowly humans". Ravens, on the other hand, have
retreated as a result of increased human development. 
There are two crows
which are considered endangered - the Hawaiian crow and the
Mariana crow. There are currently only 14 Hawaiian crows in the
wild and another 15 in captivity. Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) is very involved in seeing that
these crows increase in number and do not become extinct. Their
web site contains some very detailed information about their
research and wonderful work with these crows.
Pet Crows - Coming
Soon!
"Corvine
Library"
The following link will
take you to the "Corvine Library". Here you will find a
list of books about crows and ravens. You will also find links to
information about purchasing these books online.
"Corvine Library"
"Corvine
Glossary"
The following link will
take you to the "Corvine Glossary". Here you will find
definitions for some very important corvine terms.
"Corvine Glossary"
Corvine Resources -
(places where you can
learn to talk corvine.)
The following link will
take you to the Home Page of ASCAR. On this page, you will learn
all about ASCAR, how to join their society, and read copies of
the Corvi Chronicle, the newsletter of ASCAR.
American Society of Crows and
Ravens
Mythological Aspects of
Crows
The following link has
an extensive section on crows and ravens in mythology. I had
planned on adding my own information to this section of my site,
however, I think Corvus does a really great job of presenting
this information.
The Home Page of Corvus
Photographs and
Drawings
"Crows
Over Field" by Vangough (or just a painting in his style)
The following link will
take you to "The Corvine Gallery" where you will find
drawings of crows and their relatives.
The Corvine Gallery
Corvine Photo Album
Please click on the
following link to take you to "The Corvine Photo Album"
where you will find photos of crows and their relatives.
Corvine Photo Album
Corvine Photo Album - Section Two
New
photos added to Sections Three and Four - linked below!
Corvine Photo Album - Section
Three
Corvine Photo Album - Section
Four
Corvine humor
Corvine Humor at it's corniest!
This
section will be updated as often as I receive submissions of
corvine silliness. Most recent update: July 31, 1998.
Links to Other Crow and
Raven Sites
Please click on the
following link to take you to "Corvine Links" where you
will find links to other crow and raven sites.
Corvine Links (Links to Other
Crow and Raven Sites)
Links to Wildlife and
Wildlife Rehabilitation Resources
The following link will
take you to probably the best resource on the Internet; The Wildlife Rehabilitation
Information Directory . Visit this site for information on wildlife
rehabilitation, emergency wildlife care instructions, and
additional related resources. If you need to locate a wildlife
rehabber in your area, this site can help you find one.
Send e-mail to corvi29
Postage
stamp from Iceland featuring the raven (corvus corax)
The
author is a very proud member of
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"The
opportunity to do mischief is found a hundred times a day."
(Voltaire, who must have known a lot about crows!)
Thank
you for visiting "For the Love of Crows". You are
visitor number 
since May 2, 1997.
Y'all
caw back now, y' hear?
Updated:
August 17, 1998
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