There are two kinds of crows across much of the eastern United States.  Looking almost identical to the numerous American Crow, Fish Crows are tough to identify until you learn their nasal calls.  They live along beaches, marshes, lakes, and rivers.  Fish Crows, like other corvids (crows and jays), are intelligent, curious, social animals.  Breeding pairs form in the summer, but in winter they gather into flocks of hundreds to thousands.   Together they can chase hawks and other predators away. 

 

Fish Crows will eat almost anything, including carrion, trash, nestlings and eggs of other birds, berries, fruit, and grain, and any items they can steal from other birds.  When they find a good source of food, they may hide the surplus for later in grass, or in crevices in tree bark.  They will also dig up the eggs of turtles.

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Fish Crows build a new nest for each breeding attempt.  They put their nests near the tops of evergreens, palms, and mangroves.  The female gathers nest materials and builds the nest herself.  She fills the nest with soil, Spanish moss, palm fibers, hair, or pine needles.  It may take up to 10 days to finish the nest.  They lay 2-6 eggs once a year.  The incubation period is 16-19 days, the nestlings’ period 32-40 days.  The babies are naked and helpless at hatching. 

 

Fish Crows are of low conservation concern.  West Nile Virus killed many Fish Crows in the early 2000’s.  They are still hunted in some states.  The oldest known Fish Crow was 14 years, 6 months old.