General

Northwestern Crow: Fairly small crow with dark, stout bill, iridescent violet gloss on body, and blue-black wings. Tail is fan-shaped in flight. Sexes are similar. Juvenile looks like adult.

Range and Habitat

Northwestern Crow: Resident near the ocean from Alaska to Washington, very closely associated with beaches, shorelines, and islands.

Breeding and Nesting

Northwestern Crow: Four to five brown-spotted, dull green eggs are laid in a large nest made of twigs and sticks lined with feathers, grass, plant material, and rootlets. Nest is built in a tree or shrub, up to 100 feet above the ground.

Foraging and Feeding

Northwestern Crow: Diet includes fruits, snails, salamanders, grain, small birds, mice, eggs, toads, corn, insects, and carrion. Around coastal areas, crows display behavior similar to that of gulls, taking clams and mussels and dropping them from heights.

Readily Eats

Peanuts

Vocalization

Northwestern Crow: "Caw-caw" or "caa-caa."

Similar Species

Northwestern Crow: American Crow is not separable except by higher pitched voice and slightly larger size. Range of the two species does not overlap.