Carrion crow: breeding season, young bird & Co.

What does a carrion crow look like? What is the difference between the rook and carrion crow? And what can you do to support the birds in your garden? If we have piqued your interest, you should read our profile.

The Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) is probably the best-known relative of the crow. Their deep black plumage and their hoarse calling make them appear 'ominous' in the eyes of many people. Carrion crows are extremely intelligent animals that individually distinguish their conspecifics and can even remember different human faces. Everything else you need to know about the imposing birds, how to kind of other crow kin differentiate and how you can support them in your own garden, you can find out in our large Carrion crow profile.

Carrion crow: wanted poster

size	Approx. 44 - 51 cm
weight	About 400 - 700 g
Breeding season	April May
lifespan	About 15 years
habitat	Open and semi-open landscapes, parks and gardens
food	Omnivores: insects and other small animals, carrion, seeds, nuts, etc.
Threats	Decline in natural habitat, displacement by humans

This is how you recognize the carrion crow

The carrion crow is a very imposing bird. With a length of about 50 centimeters and a deep black, shiny plumage, it looks very impressive up close. And since carrion crows are considered to be cultural followers and spend a lot of time in close proximity to people, they are not afraid to approach within a few meters. Often they then observe people very carefully through their intelligent eyes.

Male and female carrion crows are colored the same and cannot be distinguished from one another purely visually.

How does the carrion chant sound?

The singing of the carrion crows is seldom heard. It consists of a restless, chatty whistle. Much more common and characteristic, on the other hand, is the call of the carrion crow, which roars through the landscape like a deep 'Graaah'.

The crow's call sounds like this:

How do you recognize a young carob crow?

Young carrion crows still lack the elegance of their parents. Their plumage is somewhat brownish and dull - the iridescent sheen of the adult animals is missing. In addition, the young animals have bright blue eyes that contrast with their dark plumage and only change to brown over time.

What do carrion crow eggs look like?

Carrion crow females lay between three and six greenish to bluish, dark-speckled eggs that are about 4 centimeters tall. The eggs are embedded in a very elaborate, cup-shaped nest, which is formed from several layers of small twigs, stalks and clay. The nest hollow is carefully padded with hair and feathers.

What is the difference between carrots and rooks?

Carrion crows and Rooks are sometimes indistinguishable and are simply summarized under the term 'crow'. These are two completely different types. So next time you see a crow, take a good look at its beak. Rooks have an unfeathered beak base, which makes the beak itself appear bright and extremely large. Carrion crows, on the other hand, have a black feathered beak base.

Note: In addition to the rook, there are two other species that are quite similar to the carrion crow. This includes the Hooded crowwhich, however, hardly coincides with the carrion crow in its distribution, but is native to Eastern Europe and parts of Northern and Southern Europe. The hooded crow is also characterized by a high-contrast, gray-black plumage.

There is also a high risk of confusion with the Common ravens, which is also completely black feathered, but is much rarer than the carrion crow and is characterized by its larger shape and a strong, curved beak.

Which habitat does the carrion crow prefer?

Carrion crows are very broad when it comes to the choice of their habitat. They prefer to use open and semi-open landscapes with individual structures, such as groups of trees, hedges or smaller wooded areas. The intelligent birds also feel at home in human settlements, in parks and gardens and in larger cities. Dense forests, on the other hand, are avoided.

Where does the carrion build its nest?

Carrion crows are free breeders and build an open nest in tall trees. The nest is laid out with great care and is extremely stable. Even so, old nests are rarely reused and the birds build a new nest in the next year. The abandoned nests are often taken over by other bird species, such as long-eared owls or Kestrel.

When is the crow's breeding season?

The breeding season of the carrion crow is quite short, from April to May. During this time the birds usually only create one brood. The female incubates the eggs for around 20 days, during which time the male supplies them with food and defends them against intruders. After hatching, the young birds remain in the nest and are provided with food by their parents for up to 30 days before they make their first attempts at flight.

Note: Young carrion crows from the previous year can sometimes be seen helping their parents raise their younger siblings.

Where does the carrion crow spend the winter?

Carrion crows are Resident birds. They spend the whole year in their breeding areas and roam the barren landscape in search of food. The crows can also be observed in gardens and at feeding places during this time, where they sometimes quite aggressively defend their food against other birds.

Support the carrion crow in the garden: this is how it works

You can also watch carrion crows in your own garden. You can find out which food the magnificent animals like to eat there and how you can support carrion crows here.

What do carrion crows eat?

Carrion crows are real omnivores. In the summer months they mainly feed on insects and other small animals. In winter they switch to more plant-based foods, such as walnuts, berries and seeds. They also use carrion and thus make an important contribution to the natural balance. Even animals killed on the street are 'disposed of' by the birds.

Carrion crows prefer to use larger seeds or nuts at feeding sites. Our Plantura sunflower seeds for example, they are perfect as an energy additive in the cold winter months. The fatty seeds also provide important vitamins and are fortified with extra iodine and honey.

Note: Carrion crows can be very dominant at feeding sites. Therefore, it is advisable to offer a second, somewhat more protected place, for example in a tree, in addition to a clearly visible, free-standing feeding place. Even small songbirds can help themselves there undisturbed.

Are crows nesting aids suitable?

Since carrion crows are free breeders, classic nesting boxes are out of the question for them. These are more for cave breeders, such as Jackdaws or Great tits, thought. However, if you have tall trees in your garden, you can expect carrion crows to settle here. However, always be careful not to thin out such trees too much, as dense vegetation helps protect free-standing nests.

How can you additionally support the carrion crow?

Carrion crows have long been considered an agricultural pest and have been actively persecuted and driven away by humans. The crows are also often not welcome in your own garden because they are considered to be nest robbers and looters who endanger smaller songbirds. However, it is in the nature of large birds to obtain food in many different and sometimes cunning ways. And this behavior does not cause lasting harm to the songbirds. On the other hand, they have much bigger problems because of us humans, who monotonize landscapes, gardens seal and poison insects and thereby slowly but surely the livelihood of songbirds revoke.

A little open-mindedness and respect for the intelligent crows can therefore hopefully help to put the birds in a better light again.

Another species of bird belonging to the family of the crow relatives, which has long been regarded as a thieving bad luck charm, is the magpie. But even with the Elster, conventional prejudices can be refuted. Get to know this garden bird a little better in our next species portrait.