BeakBrain
Menu
Bird GuideDaily BirdCamsTripsCommunityGet the app

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernOmnivoreUrbanCup nestLarge · 570 g
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 1
Photo: Jason Thompson · CC0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 2
Photo: Jason Thompson · CC0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 3
Photo: Dave · CC BY 4.0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 4
Photo: Dave · CC BY 4.0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 5
Photo: Helen Bovill · CC BY 4.0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 6
Photo: Andrew Cunnington · CC0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 7
Photo: Glossysun (Sunny Pearce) · CC BY 4.0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 8
Photo: Glossysun (Sunny Pearce) · CC BY 4.0
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), photo 9
Photo: Joe crutwell · CC BY 4.0

What the Carrion Crow sounds like

Sonogram of the Carrion Crow: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Christian Kahle · Uncertain, wing beats · Schneverdingen, Germany · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Carrion Crow: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Philippe_Grange · Nocturnal flight call · Arrondissement de la Roche-sur-Yon (near La Roche-sur-Yon), Vendée, Pays de la Loire, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Carrion Crow: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Flagé (Céaux), Manche, Normandie, France · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The plumage of the carrion crow is black with a green or purple sheen, much greener than the gloss of the rook (Corvus frugilegus). The bill, legs, and feet are also black. It can be distinguished from the common raven by its size, around 48–52 cm (19–20 in) in length, as compared to an average of 63 cm (25 in) for ravens, and from the hooded crow by its black plumage. The carrion crow has a wingspan of 84–100 cm (33–39 in) and weighs 400–600 g (14–21 oz).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Carrion Crow

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Carrion Crow

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 61 countries with regular records, and 4 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United Kingdom France Germany Spain Belgium Portugal Japan Netherlands Switzerland Finland Austria Sweden Norway Czechia China Italy Luxembourg Mongolia Isle of Man Russia Denmark Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Jersey South Korea Estonia India Tajikistan Uzbekistan Poland Guernsey Hungary Ireland Slovakia Andorra Liechtenstein Slovenia Taiwan Ukraine Monaco Greece Croatia Hong Kong SAR China Romania Lithuania Latvia Belarus Bulgaria Afghanistan Serbia Türkiye Bosnia & Herzegovina Montenegro Faroe Islands North Korea Turkmenistan Moldova North Macedonia Albania Egypt Kosovo

Recorded as a rare visitor in Georgia, Israel, Armenia, Cyprus.

About the Carrion Crow

The carrion crow is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae, native to western Europe and the eastern Palearctic. Along with the hooded crow, the carrion crow occupies a similar ecological niche in Eurasia to the American crow in North America. The two species look very similar to one another, but can be differentiated by size, as the carrion crow is larger and of a stockier build compared to the American crow.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusThe fish crow is a medium-large bird, with an average adult weight of 280–320 grams (9.9–11.3 oz) in males and 247–293 grams (8.7–10.3 oz) in females. Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchosThe large-billed crow is relatively large all-black corvid. House Crow (Corvus splendens) House CrowCorvus splendensVoice: The voice of the house crow is harsh and usually represented by the onomatopoeia "kaaw-kaaw".

Side by side: American Crow vs Carrion Crow · Carrion Crow vs Northern Raven · Carrion Crow vs Fish Crow · Carrion Crow vs Large-billed Crow · Carrion Crow vs House Crow

Learn the Carrion Crow in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.