Pied Crow

Corvus albus

Crows, Jays, and Magpies · Passeriformes · Common

The Pied Crow (Corvus albus) is a common crows, jays, and magpi found in 58 countries, weighing about 524 g. The pied crow is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus of the family Corvidae.

Least ConcernCommonEats omnivoreshrublandcup nest524 g

About the Pied Crow

The pied crow is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus of the family Corvidae.

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

How to identify it

It is about the size of the European carrion crow or a little larger (46–50 cm in length), but has a proportionately larger bill, slightly longer tail and wings, and longer legs. As its name suggests, its glossy black head and neck are interrupted by a large area of white feathering from the shoulders down to the lower breast. The tail, bill, and wings are black, too. Its eyes are dark brown. The white plumage of immature birds is often mixed with black. It resembles the white-necked and thick-billed ravens, but has a much smaller bill. Voice: The voice is often described as a harsh ar-ar-ar-ar or karh-karh-karh.

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, India, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Belgium.

When to see it

The Pied Crow can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Pied Crow?
It is about the size of the European carrion crow or a little larger (46–50 cm in length), but has a proportionately larger bill, slightly longer tail and wings, and longer legs. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Pied Crow?
The Pied Crow is a large sized bird weighing about 524 g.
Where can you see a Pied Crow?
The Pied Crow occurs in 58 countries, including South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Namibia.
What birds look similar to a Pied Crow?
The Pied Crow is most easily confused with the Torresian Crow, the Little Raven and the Australian Raven.
Is the Pied Crow endangered?
The Pied Crow is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Pied Crow for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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