Fish crow

The fish crow was given its binomial name by the Scottish ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1812, in the fifth volume of his American Ornithology.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Alexander |title=American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States |date=1812 |publisher=Bradford and Inskeep |volume=5 |location=Philadelphia, PA |pages=27–29 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46338142 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.97204 |lccn=11004314 |oclc=4961598}}{{cite journal |last1=Burns |first1=Frank L. |title=Alexander Wilson. VI: His Nomenclature |journal=The Wilson Bulletin |date=1909 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=132–151 |jstor=4154253 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4154253 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |issn=0043-5643}} The binomial is from Latin; Corvus means "raven", while ossifragus means "bone-breaker". It is derived from os or ossis, meaning "bone", and frangere, meaning "to break".{{cite book |last1=Jobling |first1=James A. |title=The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names : from aalge to zusii |date=2010 |publisher=Christopher Helm |location=London |isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 |pages=119, 286 |url=https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling |access-date=December 12, 2021}} The English-language common name fish crow also derives from Wilson, who ascribed the name to the crow's aquatic diet, as described to him by local fishermen. He distinguished the fish crow from John Bartram's great seaside crow by the former's diminutive size when compared to the American crow.

The fish crow's taxonomic relation to other species of the Corvus genus is still poorly understood, but DNA sequencing indicates that it is most closely related to the palm crow (C. palmarum) and the Jamaican crow (C. jamaicensis), with the three species forming a Nearctic clade.{{cite journal |last1=Haring |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Däubl |first2=Barbara |last3=Pinsker |first3=Wilhelm |last4=Kryukov |first4=Alexey |last5=Gamauf |first5=Anita |title=Genetic divergences and intraspecific variation in corvids of the genus Corvus (Aves: Passeriformes: Corvidae) – a first survey based on museum specimens |journal=Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research |date=August 2012 |volume=50 |issue=3 |pages=230–246 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1439-0469.2012.00664.x |access-date=December 12, 2021|url-access=subscription }} The Sinaloa crow (C. sinaloae) and Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus) bear morphological similarities to and were once considered conspecific subspecies of the fish crow,{{cite book |last1=Hellmayr |first1=Charles E. |title=Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands |date=1934 |publisher=Field Museum of Natural History |volume=13 |location=Chicago, IL |pages=5–7 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2767726 |access-date=December 12, 2021 |oclc=13897940}} but have since been recognized as distinct species.{{cite journal |last1=Hardy |first1=John William |title=The Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) and its Mexican relatives: vocal cues to evolutionary relationships? |journal=Florida Field Naturalist |date=1990 |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=74–80 |url=https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/FFN_18-4p74-80Hardy[1].pdf |access-date=December 12, 2021}}

File:Corvus ossifragus-flying downstroke.jpg, New Jersey]]

The fish crow is a small bird, with an average adult weight of {{convert|280|–|320|g}} in males and {{convert|247|–|293|g}} in females.{{cite journal |last1=Baumel |first1=Julian J. |title=Individual Variation in the Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus |journal=The Auk |date=1957 |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=73–78 |doi=10.2307/4082030 |jstor=4082030 |issn=0004-8038|doi-access=free }} The average male wingspan is similarly larger at {{convert|278|–|292|mm}}, compared to {{convert|264|–|277|mm}} in females.{{cite book |last1=Johnston |first1=David W. |title=The Biosystematics of American Crows |date=1961 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=978-0-295-73724-9}} The total body length is between {{convert|36|-|40|cm}}.{{cite book |last1=McGowan |first1=Kevin J. |editor1-last=Poole |editor1-first=A. F. |editor2-last=Gill |editor2-first=F. B. |title=Birds of the World |date=2020 |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology |location=Ithaca, NY |url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/fiscro/cur/introduction |access-date=December 12, 2021 |chapter=Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)|doi=10.2173/bow.fiscro.01 }}

The fish crow is superficially similar to the American crow, but is smaller and has a silkier, smoother plumage by comparison, and the bill is usually somewhat slimmer. The upperparts have a blue or blue-green sheen, while the underparts have a more greenish tint to the black. The eyes are dark brown. The differences are often only really apparent between the two species when seen side by side or when heard calling.Goodwin, p. 92

Visual differentiation from the American crow is extremely difficult and often inaccurate.[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Physical Characters] Nonetheless, differences apart from size do exist. Fish crows tend to have more slender bills and feet. There may also be a small sharp hook at the end of the upper bill. Fish crows also appear as if they have shorter legs when walking. More dramatically, when calling, fish crows tend to hunch and fluff their throat feathers.

The voice is the most outwardly differing characteristic for this species and other American crow species. The call of the fish crow has been described as a nasal "ark-ark-ark" or a begging "waw-waw". Birders often distinguish the two species (in areas where their range overlaps) with the mnemonic aid "Just ask him if he is an American crow. If he says "no", he is a fish crow." referring to the fact that the most common call of the American crow is a distinct "caw caw", while that of the fish crow is a nasal "nyuh unh".[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fish Crow – Voice] The fish crow also has a single call sounding like "cahrrr".{{Cite web|url=https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm|title=Fish Crow ID}}

File:20230827 fish crow south meadows PND00775 1-topaz-enhance-3600h.jpg

This species occurs on the eastern seaboard of the United States from Rhode Island south to Key West, and west along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. Coastal marshes and beaches, rivers, inland lakes and marshes, river banks, and the land immediately surrounding all are frequented. Fish crows are also found along many river systems inland for quite some distance, having expanded their range along rivers since the early 1900s.{{Cite journal |last1=Jorgenson |first1=Joel P. |last2=Panella |first2=Melissa J. |last3=Silcock |first3=W.Ross |last4=Stoner |first4=Kristal J. |date=2009-12-01 |title=The Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) Reaches Nebraska |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebbirdrev/1083 |journal=Nebraska Bird Review}} Since 2012, fish crows have rapidly expanded into Canada, with breeding populations along Lake Ontario.{{Cite web |title=Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas |url=https://www.birdsontario.org/crows/ |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=www.birdsontario.org}}

File:Fish crow in Red Hook (42759).jpg

File:Corvus ossifragus and egg.jpg

Food is taken mainly from the ground or shallow water where the bird hovers and plucks food items out of the water with its feet. The fish crow is omnivorous. It feeds on small crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimps, other invertebrates, stranded fish, and live fish if the situation favors their capture, eggs and nestlings of birds, small reptiles, the fruits of many trees, peanuts, and grains, as well as human scraps where available.

The nest is usually built high in a tree and is often accompanied in nearby trees with other nests of the same species forming small, loose colonies. Usually, four or five eggs are laid. Pale blue-green in colour, they bear blotches of olive-brown.Goodwin, p. 93 Fish crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt.{{cite web | title = Fish Crow| url = https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fish_Crow/overview#:~:text=Fish%20Crows%20are%20inveterate%20nest,back%20of%20each%20other's%20head.| website = TheCornellLab| access-date = 24 May 2021}} A pair of fish crows were reported to have raised a young blue jay for multiple weeks.

This species appears to be somewhat more resistant to West Nile virus than the American crow. Survival rates of up to 45% have been reported for fish crows, compared with near zero for American crows.{{cite web|title=West Nile and Ravens|url=http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|publisher=Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management|access-date=28 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909101528/http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/crowravn.htm|archive-date=9 September 2014|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|author=Goodwin D.|year=1983|title=Crows of the World |publisher=Queensland University Press, St Lucia, Qld|isbn=0-7022-1015-3}}

{{commonscat|Corvus ossifragus}}

{{NIE Poster|Fish-Crow|Fish crow}}

• [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/FishCrow.htm Differences between American and Fish Crows]
• [https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=fiscro&mediaType=video&sort=rating_rank_desc Fish Crow videos] from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library
• [http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Fish_Crow/id Page from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology]
• {{inaturalist taxon|8001}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051103232214/http://flmnh.ufl.edu/wwwsounds/birds/hardy50sh.wav Fish crow call]

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20030607085636/http://47custer.com/2000/november/brookline_110600/index.html Fish crow series]

{{Corvidae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1420315}}

fish crow

Category:Native birds of the Southeastern United States

Category:Endemic birds of the Eastern United States

fish crow

Category:Taxa named by Alexander Wilson (ornithologist)