Bird Guide

Carrion Crow vs Large-billed Crow

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

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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).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Christian Kahle · CC0
Photo: Jason Thompson · CC0
Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos

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The large-billed crow is relatively large all-black corvid. It is 46–59 cm (18–23 in) in length and 450–1,000 g (16–35 oz) in weight. It has a large black bill with an arched culmen. The base of the culmen is hidden by a layer of overlapping black rictal bristles. The glossy black plumage has a purple sheen. The bases of the neck feathers are pale grey. The throat has elongated hackle feathers. The irises are dark brown and the legs are black. The sexes are similar in plumage but the female, on average, is smaller than the male and has a less arched culmen. Voice: The voice is similar to the house crow to which it is closest, but deeper and usually more resonant and described as the usual loud "caa-haa-caa". However, it makes a range of calls, some which could be described as "cau cau" and others that could be mistaken for a woodpecker drumming.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Ujjal Kishor De · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: FUKUDA Kazuhito 福田一人 · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Carrion Crow and Large-billed Crow.