Hooded Crow
Corvus cornix
Aves › Passeriformes › Corvidae › Corvus
The Hooded Crow is easily recognized by its striking gray and black plumage, with a charcoal-black head, wings, and tail contrasting sharply against its ash-gray back and underparts. Once considered a subspecies of the Carrion Crow, this intelligent bird is now classified as its own species and inhabits much of eastern and southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
How To Identify
These medium-to-large crows are typically solid black, presenting a glossy sheen that catches the light. Males often display distinct pale or bluish feathering on the crown, giving the head a slightly 'hooded' appearance.
Habitat
It typically inhabits open woodlands, farmland, parks, urban areas, and cultivated regions across Europe and Asia, preferring landscapes with scattered trees and human settlements.
Behaviour
Hooded Crows are highly social and often gather in large communal roosts at dusk, where hundreds or thousands may congregate before dispersing to sleep in nearby trees.
Native Range
The hooded crow breeds in northern and eastern Europe, and closely allied forms inhabit southern Europe and western Asia.
Did You Know?
Hooded Crows are so intelligent they can recognize individual human faces and hold grudges, remembering people who have treated them poorly. They have even been observed using tools and solving multi-step puzzles to obtain food.
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