Fish Crow

The Fish Crow is nearly identical in appearance to the American Crow, entirely glossy black with a stout bill, but is noticeably smaller and slimmer, with proportionally longer wings and a more buoyant flight style. Visual identification alone is often unreliable; the species is most confidently distinguished by voice.

As its name suggests, this species is closely tied to water, particularly coastal areas, tidal marshes, and rivers, where it forages on aquatic invertebrates and readily raids the nests of colonial waterbirds for eggs and chicks.

Key Field Marks

• Entirely glossy black plumage, very similar to American Crow
• Smaller and slimmer overall, with a more slender bill
• Distinctive nasal, two-syllable uh-uh call, quite different from the American Crow's caw
• More buoyant, tern-like wingbeats in flight

Similar Species

• American Crow is larger with a deeper caw call; the two species are best separated by voice, as plumage differences are subtle and unreliable in the field.
• Common Raven is much larger with a wedge-shaped tail and heavier bill.

Habitat

Fish Crows favor coastal areas, tidal marshes, beaches, rivers, and lakeshores, and have increasingly moved into inland towns and cities along major waterways.

Range

Found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, from New England south through Florida and west to Texas, with an expanding inland range following major river systems.

Migration

Most populations are resident or make only short-distance movements, though northern birds may withdraw slightly southward in the coldest months.

Behavior

Fish Crows are social and often forage in small flocks, frequently raiding the nests of herons, egrets, and other colonial waterbirds for eggs and young, in addition to foraging along shorelines and mudflats.

Voice

The distinctive call is a short, nasal uh-uh or ca-ha, quite different from the single, deeper caw of the American Crow, and is the most reliable way to identify the species.

Feeding

Diet includes crabs and other crustaceans, fish, insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds, fruit, and carrion, often foraging along shorelines and in shallow water.

Nesting

Pairs build a stick nest in a tree, often near water; the female incubates 4-5 blue-green, brown-spotted eggs.