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: Lives along the coast of the northeastern Pacific Ocean between southern Alaska and the northern tip of Washington. Lives mainly in coastal regions near intertidal zones, but can be found along large rivers as far as 120 km inland. Also found in river deltas, coastal bays, coastal villages, towns and cities, as well as on farmland.

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.