Description:

The two distinctive plumages of Carrion Crow and Hooded Crow offer a fascinating example of how living creatures change their appearances and distributions over evolutionary time. Black crows of the race Corvus corone corone are found in western Europe, including England, Wales and southeastern Scotland. The grey and black Hooded Crow is found in Ireland and northwestern Scotland. Carrion and Hooded crows interbeeed freely producing a 'hyrbid zone'. This hybrid zone is stable amd hybrids almost never occur outside it.

Ecology & Behaviour:

Carrion and Hooded crows are very different from the gregarious Rooks. They occupy very well-defended territories throughout the year. These will normally be defended against intruders but if food resources in a territory become very abundant then crows will share them without too much squabbling. Sometimes as many as half the crows in an area will be non-breeding birds. These are not so territorial and may be seen in small flocks at almost any time of year. They (and the territorial birds) sometimes form very large communal roosts in the autumn and winter. These can number hundreds or even thousands of birds, often with other crow species also being present. Crows are quite common birds in Garden BirdWatch gardens, with late spring and early summer the peak time for such observations.

Garden BirdWatch links

A 'Focus On' article on the Crow appeared in issue 24 of the Bird Table magazine. Garden BirdWatch participants can download a copy of this article from the participant only pages.