American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)


Group	Jays and Crows
Code	ABPAV10010
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Corvidae
Author	Brehm, 1822
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	P (definitions)
Scale	N (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	all

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested or Nonforested Landscapes

Habitat Requirements may be distributed across the NEIGHBORHOOD

      (Any Forested Upland (Regen))
      or Grass
      or Upland Brush
      or Savanna
      or Any Cropland
   neighboring:
      (Any Forested Upland (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      Mast

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Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	-
Paper Birch	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	-
Oak	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Assorted Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Northern Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Spruce/Fir	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Hemlock	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Jack Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Red Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
White Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Conifer Plantations	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Upland Conifer	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Pine	YES	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Grass, Upland Brush, Savanna, Row Crops, Small Grains/Forage Crops, Fields/Pastures
Special Features	Mast, Edges

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Literature:

Wenger, J. D. 1991. American Crow. Pages 316-317 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: This bird uses open areas for feeding on the ground, but needs trees for roosting and nesting purposes. Therefore, it is often found in farmland, wood edges, and open woodland. The Atlas Habitat Survey showed that this bird was most often associated with mesic and dry deciduous forest. It was also often observed in habitats greatly influenced by humans like old fields, row crops, and residential areas, especially in the southern Lower Peninsula. According to the Atlas Habitat Survey, up to 5% of crow sightings were in these human environments. Since the crow is an opportunist, feeding on road kills, freshly sprouted corn, insects, and other convenient foods often associated with man, we should expect to find these birds near human habitats.

The American Crow builds its nest in a large tree in woodlands or even occasionally in isolated trees or small trees or shrubs in a fencerow. They prefer nesting in coniferous trees if available.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Interior and edges of open deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests and woodlots. Prefers woodland with adjacent farmland. Wintering: Large flocks often congregate in coastal areas where food is more accessible.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Woodlands, farms, fields, river groves, shores, towns. Lives in a wide variety of semi-open habitats, from farming country and open fields to clearings in the woods. Often found on shores, especially where Fish Crow and Northwestern Crow do not occur. Avoids hot desert zones. Is adapting to towns and even cities, now often nesting in city parks.

Diet: Omnivorous. Seems to feed on practically anything it can find, including fish, crabs, shellfish, carrion, garbage, various insects, berries, nuts, seeds, and bird's eggs (especially in seabird colonies).

Nest: Site is usually in a fork of tree or shrub; sometimes placed on the ground (sheltered by rocks) on islands. Nest is a bulky platform of sticks, bark, plant fibers, and mud, lined with softer material such as grass, animal fur, and rootlets.