This time around we’ll be covering a bird that many wild bird watchers aren’t exactly fond of, but are so common they deserve some discussion – even if a lot of it’s going to be about keeping them away.

General: The American Crow is one of the most successful species from an adaptive point of view but it can be extremely annoying, too. Part of its often irritating nature comes from the fact that it’s related to other songbirds – they’re all part of the passerine order – but crow “songs” don’t sound that great to human ears. The proper American Crow is called Corvus brachyrhynchos but there are in fact many crow species. Their similar colors and habits often make them hard to tell apart. Ravens are simply larger examples of this family of species, and many crow sightings are actually of the larger, related Common Raven.

As everyone knows, American Crows have iridescent black feathers, but some population groups they tend toward brown or blue. Some of them even have white spots. They’re bigger than other backyard bird species, with an average body length of 16 to 20 inches. Bill size and shape varies widely between breeding populations.

Diet: Crows will eat pretty much anything: insects, seeds, others birds’ young and eggs, garbage – you name it. For most wild bird aficionados the question is really, “How do I keep crows from stealing all the food and driving away other birds?” A plastic owl will scare crows at first (owls prey on crows), but since they’re really smart birds they’ll eventually notice that it’s fake and pay it no mind. A better bet is to pick a feeder they don’t like. The secret is to take advantage of the crow’s larger size. The Twirl-a-Squirrel Bird Feeder is a good choice because it’s weight activated. Crows are agile, but they prefer sure footing as much as any bird. This feeder annoys them but doesn’t affect the lighter birds you’d want to attract. Mesh feeders like our Nyjer (Thistle) Feeder are often too fine for a crow to poke his beak through.

Environment: Crows have one of the largest ranges of any wild bird. Intelligent and adaptable, they inhabit almost every part of North America, though the West and Southwest host others species than the American Crow.

Behavior: Crows are known for their wide arrange of calls. Crow “songs” can be loud and annoying, but the “caws” actually consist of dozens of distinct songs that communicate warnings, greetings and announcements that food is nearby. Some crows can even be taught to talk, just like parrots. Crows are often maligned because they’ll steal eggs and kill youngsters from other species, but according to Cornell University the survival rate of other birds with and without crow predation is about the same. Young crows like shiny objects, but older ones usually lose the habit.

Crows gather in very large roosts – sometimes even in the thousands – to sleep. Scientists speculate they do this for mutual protection from owls and to socialize. The species is primarily monogamous, though like human couples, crows argue and have been known to cheat on their “spouses.