American Crow

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is in the Crows, Jays, and Magpies family (Corvidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 122,022 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph American Crow: observations by month (U.S.)

About American Crow

The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the new world counterpart to the carrion crow and the hooded crow. Although the American crow and the hooded crow are very similar in size, structure and behavior, their calls are different. The American crow nevertheless occupies the same role the hooded crow does in Eurasia.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

American Crow by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)

Blue JayCyanocitta cristata

Common RavenCorvus corax

California Scrub-JayAphelocoma californica

Steller's JayCyanocitta stelleri

Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia

Woodhouse's Scrub-JayAphelocoma woodhouseii

Canada JayPerisoreus canadensis

Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ