North American field guide
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Identification
Field notes
39 cm (15") Locally common along Atlantic to New England states and Gulf coasts; inland on large rivers such as Mississippi. Tidewater marshes, beaches, mudflats, garbage dumps.
All glossy black. Although generally smaller, it so closely resembles the American Crow, it is best identified by voice.
Song: a high, nasal, single or double note "cah".
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Fish Crow
Credit: BirdchickFish Crow & Boat-tailed Grackles - (Quiscalus major)
Credit: Mark VanceWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Fish Crow
1 ruleRule 1 12 criteria · confidence 4
- Was the RUMP or LOWER BACK light ?
- No · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and thick · Downcurved · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Unknown
- What colour were the EYES ?
- Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States