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|status = LC
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Corvus ossifragus'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22705993A94045235 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705993A94045235.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Corvus ossifragus'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22705993A94045235 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22705993A94045235.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| status2 = G5
| status2 = G5
| status2_system = TNC
| status2_system = TNC
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== Taxonomy and etymology ==
== Taxonomy and etymology ==
The fish crow was given its [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] by the Scottish [[Ornithology|ornithologist]] [[Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)|Alexander Wilson]] in 1812, in the fifth volume of his ''American Ornithology''.<ref name="wilson">{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Alexander |title=American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States |date=1812 |publisher=Bradford and Inskeep |volume=5 |location=Philadelphia, PA |pages=27–29 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46338142 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.97204 |lccn=11004314 |oclc=4961598}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burns |first1=Frank L. |title=Alexander Wilson. VI: His Nomenclature |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |date=1909 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=132–151 |jstor=4154253 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4154253 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |issn=0043-5643}}</ref> The binomial is from [[Latin]]; ''Corvus'' means "raven", while ''ossifragus'' means "bone-breaker". It is derived from ''os'' or ''ossis'', meaning "bone", and ''frangere'', meaning "to break".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jobling |first1=James A. |title=The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names : from aalge to zusii |date=2010 |publisher=Christopher Helm |location=London |isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 |pages=119, 286 |url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling |access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref> The English-language [[common name]] ''fish crow'' also derives from Wilson, who ascribed the name to the crow's aquatic diet, as described to him by local fishermen. He distinguished the fish crow from [[John Bartram]]'s ''great seaside crow'' by the former's diminutive size when compared to the [[American crow]].<ref name="wilson" />
The fish crow was given its [[Binomial nomenclature|binomial name]] by the Scottish [[Ornithology|ornithologist]] [[Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)|Alexander Wilson]] in 1812, in the fifth volume of his ''American Ornithology''.<ref name="wilson">{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Alexander |title=American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States |date=1812 |publisher=Bradford and Inskeep |volume=5 |location=Philadelphia, PA |pages=27–29 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46338142 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.97204 |lccn=11004314 |oclc=4961598}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Burns |first1=Frank L. |title=Alexander Wilson. VI: His Nomenclature |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |date=1909 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=132–151 |jstor=4154253 |issn=0043-5643}}</ref> The binomial is from [[Latin]]; ''Corvus'' means "raven", while ''ossifragus'' means "bone-breaker". It is derived from ''os'' or ''ossis'', meaning "bone", and ''frangere'', meaning "to break".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jobling |first1=James A. |title=The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names: from aalge to zusii |date=2010 |publisher=Christopher Helm |location=London |isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 |pages=119, 286 |url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling |access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref> The English-language [[common name]] ''fish crow'' also derives from Wilson, who ascribed the name to the crow's aquatic diet, as described to him by local fishermen. He distinguished the fish crow from [[John Bartram]]'s ''great seaside crow'' by the former's diminutive size when compared to the [[American crow]].<ref name="wilson" />


The fish crow's taxonomic relation to other species of the ''[[Corvus]]'' genus is still poorly understood, but [[DNA sequencing]] indicates that it is most closely related to the [[palm crow]] (''C. palmarum'') and the [[Jamaican crow]] (''C. jamaicensis''), with the three species forming a [[Nearctic realm|Nearctic]] [[clade]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haring |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Däubl |first2=Barbara |last3=Pinsker |first3=Wilhelm |last4=Kryukov |first4=Alexey |last5=Gamauf |first5=Anita |title=Genetic divergences and intraspecific variation in corvids of the genus Corvus (Aves: Passeriformes: Corvidae) – a first survey based on museum specimens |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |date=August 2012 |volume=50 |issue=3 |pages=230–246 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |access-date=December 12, 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The [[Sinaloa crow]] (''C. sinaloae'') and [[Tamaulipas crow]] (''C. imparatus'') bear [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] similarities to and were once considered conspecific [[subspecies]] of the fish crow,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hellmayr |first1=Charles E. |title=Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands |date=1934 |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |volume=13 |location=Chicago, IL |pages=5–7 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2767726 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |oclc=13897940}}</ref> but have since been recognized as distinct species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hardy |first1=John William |title=The Fish Crow (''Corvus ossifragus'') and its Mexican relatives: vocal cues to evolutionary relationships? |journal=Florida Field Naturalist |date=1990 |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=74–80 |url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/FFN_18-4p74-80Hardy[1].pdf |access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref>
The fish crow's taxonomic relation to other species of the ''[[Corvus]]'' genus is still poorly understood, but [[DNA sequencing]] indicates that it is most closely related to the [[palm crow]] (''C. palmarum'') and the [[Jamaican crow]] (''C. jamaicensis''), with the three species forming a [[Nearctic realm|Nearctic]] [[clade]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haring |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Däubl |first2=Barbara |last3=Pinsker |first3=Wilhelm |last4=Kryukov |first4=Alexey |last5=Gamauf |first5=Anita |title=Genetic divergences and intraspecific variation in corvids of the genus Corvus (Aves: Passeriformes: Corvidae) – a first survey based on museum specimens |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |date=August 2012 |volume=50 |issue=3 |pages=230–246 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |access-date=December 12, 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The [[Sinaloa crow]] (''C. sinaloae'') and [[Tamaulipas crow]] (''C. imparatus'') bear [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] similarities to and were once considered conspecific [[subspecies]] of the fish crow,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hellmayr |first1=Charles E. |title=Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands |date=1934 |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |volume=13 |location=Chicago, IL |pages=5–7 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2767726 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |oclc=13897940}}</ref> but have since been recognized as distinct species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hardy |first1=John William |title=The Fish Crow (''Corvus ossifragus'') and its Mexican relatives: vocal cues to evolutionary relationships? |journal=Florida Field Naturalist |date=1990 |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=74–80 |url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/FFN_18-4p74-80Hardy[1].pdf |access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref>
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==Description==
==Description==
[[File:Corvus ossifragus-flying downstroke.jpg|thumb|left|In flight [[Cape May Point State Park]], [[New Jersey]]]]
[[File:Corvus ossifragus-flying downstroke.jpg|thumb|left|In flight [[Cape May Point State Park]], [[New Jersey]]]]
The fish crow is a small bird, with an average adult weight of {{convert|280|–|320|g}} in males and {{convert|247|–|293|g}} in females.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baumel |first1=Julian J. |title=Individual Variation in the Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus |journal=The Auk |date=1957 |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=73–78 |doi=10.2307/4082030 |jstor=4082030 |issn=0004-8038|doi-access=free }}</ref> The average male wingspan is similarly larger at {{convert|278|–|292|mm}}, compared to {{convert|264|–|277|mm}} in females.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Johnston |first1=David W. |title=The Biosystematics of American Crows |date=1961 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=978-0-295-73724-9}}</ref> The total body length is between {{convert|36|-|40|cm}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGowan |first1=Kevin J. |editor1-last=Poole |editor1-first=A. F. |editor2-last=Gill |editor2-first=F. B. |title=Birds of the World |date=2020 |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |location=Ithaca, NY |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/fiscro/cur/introduction |access-date=December 12, 2021 |chapter=Fish Crow (''Corvus ossifragus'')|doi=10.2173/bow.fiscro.01 }}</ref>
The fish crow is a medium-large bird, with an average adult weight of {{convert|280|–|320|g}} in males and {{convert|247|–|293|g}} in females.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baumel |first1=Julian J. |title=Individual Variation in the Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus |journal=The Auk |date=1957 |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=73–78 |doi=10.2307/4082030 |jstor=4082030 |issn=0004-8038|doi-access=free }}</ref> The wingspan is approximately 36 inches (90&nbsp;cm),<ref>{{cite book |last=Sibley |first=David Allen |date=2014 |title=The Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |page=385 |isbn=978-0-307-95790-0 }}</ref> while the total body length is between {{convert|36|-|40|cm}}.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGowan |first1=Kevin J. |editor1-last=Poole |editor1-first=A. F. |editor2-last=Gill |editor2-first=F. B. |title=Birds of the World |date=2020 |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |location=Ithaca, NY |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/fiscro/cur/introduction |access-date=December 12, 2021 |chapter=Fish Crow (''Corvus ossifragus'')|doi=10.2173/bow.fiscro.01 }}</ref>


The fish crow is superficially similar to the American crow, but is smaller and has a silkier, smoother plumage by comparison, and the bill is usually somewhat slimmer. The upperparts have a blue or blue-green sheen, while the underparts have a more greenish tint to the black. The eyes are dark brown. The differences are often only really apparent between the two species when seen side by side or when heard calling.<ref name=Good92>Goodwin, p. 92</ref>
The fish crow is superficially similar to the American crow, but is smaller and has a silkier, smoother plumage by comparison, and the bill is usually somewhat slimmer. The upperparts have a blue or blue-green sheen, while the underparts have a more greenish tint to the black. The eyes are dark brown. The differences are often only really apparent between the two species when seen side by side or when heard calling.<ref name=Good92>Goodwin, p. 92</ref>


Visual differentiation from the American crow is extremely difficult and often inaccurate.<ref>[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Physical Characters]</ref> Nonetheless, differences apart from size do exist. Fish crows tend to have more slender bills and feet. There may also be a small sharp hook at the end of the upper bill. Fish crows also appear as if they have shorter legs when walking. More dramatically, when calling, fish crows tend to hunch and fluff their throat feathers.
Visual differentiation from the American crow is extremely difficult and often inaccurate.<ref>[https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Physical Characters]</ref> Nonetheless, differences apart from size do exist. Fish crows tend to have more slender bills and feet. There may also be a small sharp hook at the end of the upper bill. Fish crows also appear as if they have shorter legs when walking. More dramatically, when calling, fish crows tend to hunch and fluff their throat feathers.


The voice is the most outwardly differing characteristic for this species and other American crow species. The call of the fish crow has been described as a nasal "ark-ark-ark" or a [[Begging behavior in animals|begging]] "waw-waw". Birders often distinguish the two species (in areas where their range overlaps) with the mnemonic aid "Just ask him if he is an American crow. If he says "no", he is a fish crow." referring to the fact that the most common call of the American crow is a distinct "caw caw", while that of the fish crow is a nasal "nyuh unh".<ref>[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Voice]</ref> The fish crow also has a single call sounding like "cahrrr".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm|title=Fish Crow ID}}</ref>
The voice is the most outwardly differing characteristic for this species and other American crow species. The call of the fish crow has been described as a nasal "ark-ark-ark" or a [[Begging behavior in animals|begging]] "waw-waw". Birders often distinguish the two species (in areas where their range overlaps) with the mnemonic aid "Just ask him if he is an American crow. If he says "no", he is a fish crow." referring to the fact that the most common call of the American crow is a distinct "caw caw", while that of the fish crow is a nasal "nyuh unh".<ref>[https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Voice]</ref> The fish crow also has a single call sounding like "cahrrr".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm|title=Fish Crow ID}}</ref>


[[File:20230827 fish crow south meadows PND00775 1-topaz-enhance-3600h.jpg|thumb|Blue-green sheen visible on feathers]]
[[File:20230827 fish crow south meadows PND00775 1-topaz-enhance-3600h.jpg|thumb|Blue-green sheen visible on feathers]]
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==Conservation==
==Conservation==
This species appears to be somewhat more resistant to [[West Nile virus]] than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for fish crows, compared with near zero for American crows.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Nile and Ravens|url=http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|publisher=Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909101528/http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|archive-date=9 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
This species appears to be somewhat more resistant to [[West Nile virus]] than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for fish crows, compared with near zero for American crows.<ref>{{cite web|title=West Nile and Ravens|url=http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|publisher=Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909101528/http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|archive-date=9 September 2014}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat|Corvus ossifragus}}
{{commons category|Corvus ossifragus}}
{{NIE Poster|Fish-Crow|Fish crow}}
{{NIE Poster|Fish-Crow|Fish crow}}
*[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Differences between American and Fish Crows]
*[https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Differences between American and Fish Crows]
*[https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=fiscro&mediaType=video&sort=rating_rank_desc Fish Crow videos] from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library
*[https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=fiscro&mediaType=video&sort=rating_rank_desc Fish Crow videos] from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library
*[http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fish_Crow/id Page from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology]
*[http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fish_Crow/id Page from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology]
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[[Category:Corvus|fish crow]]
[[Category:Corvus|fish crow]]
[[Category:Native birds of the Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Native birds of the Southeastern United States]]
[[Category:Endemic birds of the Eastern United States]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1812|fish crow]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1812|fish crow]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)]]
[[Category:Birds of the United States]]
[[Category:Least concern biota of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 08:32, 16 November 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Speciesbox

The fish crow (Corvus ossifragus) is a species of crow associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States.

Taxonomy and etymology

The fish crow was given its binomial name by the Scottish ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1812, in the fifth volume of his American Ornithology.[1][2] The binomial is from Latin; Corvus means "raven", while ossifragus means "bone-breaker". It is derived from os or ossis, meaning "bone", and frangere, meaning "to break".[3] The English-language common name fish crow also derives from Wilson, who ascribed the name to the crow's aquatic diet, as described to him by local fishermen. He distinguished the fish crow from John Bartram's great seaside crow by the former's diminutive size when compared to the American crow.[1]

The fish crow's taxonomic relation to other species of the Corvus genus is still poorly understood, but DNA sequencing indicates that it is most closely related to the palm crow (C. palmarum) and the Jamaican crow (C. jamaicensis), with the three species forming a Nearctic clade.[4] The Sinaloa crow (C. sinaloae) and Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus) bear morphological similarities to and were once considered conspecific subspecies of the fish crow,[5] but have since been recognized as distinct species.[6]

Description

File:Corvus ossifragus-flying downstroke.jpg
In flight Cape May Point State Park, New Jersey

The fish crow is a medium-large bird, with an average adult weight of Template:Convert in males and Template:Convert in females.[7] The wingspan is approximately 36 inches (90 cm),[8] while the total body length is between Template:Convert.[9]

The fish crow is superficially similar to the American crow, but is smaller and has a silkier, smoother plumage by comparison, and the bill is usually somewhat slimmer. The upperparts have a blue or blue-green sheen, while the underparts have a more greenish tint to the black. The eyes are dark brown. The differences are often only really apparent between the two species when seen side by side or when heard calling.[10]

Visual differentiation from the American crow is extremely difficult and often inaccurate.[11] Nonetheless, differences apart from size do exist. Fish crows tend to have more slender bills and feet. There may also be a small sharp hook at the end of the upper bill. Fish crows also appear as if they have shorter legs when walking. More dramatically, when calling, fish crows tend to hunch and fluff their throat feathers.

The voice is the most outwardly differing characteristic for this species and other American crow species. The call of the fish crow has been described as a nasal "ark-ark-ark" or a begging "waw-waw". Birders often distinguish the two species (in areas where their range overlaps) with the mnemonic aid "Just ask him if he is an American crow. If he says "no", he is a fish crow." referring to the fact that the most common call of the American crow is a distinct "caw caw", while that of the fish crow is a nasal "nyuh unh".[12] The fish crow also has a single call sounding like "cahrrr".[13]

File:20230827 fish crow south meadows PND00775 1-topaz-enhance-3600h.jpg
Blue-green sheen visible on feathers

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs on the eastern seaboard of the United States from Rhode Island south to Key West, and west along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal marshes and beaches, rivers, inland lakes and marshes, river banks, and the land immediately surrounding all are frequented.[10] Fish crows are also found along many river systems inland for quite some distance, having expanded their range along rivers since the early 1900s.[14] Since 2012, fish crows have rapidly expanded into Canada, with breeding populations along Lake Ontario.[15]

Behavior

File:Fish crow in Red Hook (42759).jpg
Fish crow while vocalizing

Diet

File:Corvus ossifragus and egg.jpg
Fish crow eating an egg

Food is taken mainly from the ground or shallow water where the bird hovers and plucks food items out of the water with its feet. The fish crow is omnivorous. It feeds on small crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimps, other invertebrates, stranded fish, and live fish if the situation favors their capture, eggs and nestlings of birds, small reptiles, the fruits of many trees, peanuts, and grains, as well as human scraps where available.[10]

Breeding

The nest is usually built high in a tree and is often accompanied in nearby trees with other nests of the same species forming small, loose colonies. Usually, four or five eggs are laid. Pale blue-green in colour, they bear blotches of olive-brown.[16] Fish crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt.[17] A pair of fish crows were reported to have raised a young blue jay for multiple weeks.[17]

Conservation

This species appears to be somewhat more resistant to West Nile virus than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for fish crows, compared with near zero for American crows.[18]

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

Template:Sister project Template:NIE Poster

Sound link

Image link

Template:Corvidae Template:Taxonbar

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b c Goodwin, p. 92
  11. ↑ Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Physical Characters
  12. ↑ Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Voice
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Goodwin, p. 93
  17. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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