The Murder’s Flock: 11 Birds That Look Like Crows

The crow is a common bird found in many parts of the world, known for its distinctive black feathers and cawing call. They are highly intelligent and adaptable, able to thrive in a variety of environments from urban areas to rural forests.

Crows are omnivorous, feeding on a range of foods including insects, small animals, seeds, fruit, and carrion. They are also known to scavenge and steal food from other animals, and have been observed using tools to obtain food.

Crows are known for their intelligence and social behaviors, often forming large flocks and working together to defend their territory or find food. They are also known for their ability to recognize individual humans and remember faces, which has led to them being used in research on animal cognition.

The Common Raven is a large, intelligent bird known for its glossy black plumage and its deep, resonating calls. It has a wide distribution and is often associated with myths and legends in various cultures due to its enigmatic nature.

Appearance: Common Ravens are entirely black, from their robust bills to their shaggy throat feathers. Their eyes are dark, and their wingspan is impressive, often mistaken for a hawk or crow. Both males and females share this appearance, though males are typically slightly larger.

Diet: These birds are highly versatile in their diet, feeding on a variety of foods including small mammals, birds, carrion, fruits, grains, and insects. Their adaptability allows them to exploit various food sources depending on availability.

Reproduction: Common Ravens are monogamous and often form long-lasting pair bonds. They typically build large nests made of sticks, often positioned on cliff ledges or high in trees. The female lays a clutch of about 3 to 7 eggs.

The Common Raven is a large, intelligent bird known for its glossy black plumage and its deep, resonating calls. It has a wide distribution and is often associated with myths and legends in various cultures due to its enigmatic nature.

Appearance: Common Ravens are entirely black, from their robust bills to their shaggy throat feathers. Their eyes are dark, and their wingspan is impressive, often mistaken for a hawk or crow. Both males and females share this appearance, though males are typically slightly larger.

Diet: These birds are highly versatile in their diet, feeding on a variety of foods including small mammals, birds, carrion, fruits, grains, and insects. Their adaptability allows them to exploit various food sources depending on availability.

Reproduction: Common Ravens are monogamous and often form long-lasting pair bonds. They typically build large nests made of sticks, often positioned on cliff ledges or high in trees. The female lays a clutch of about 3 to 7 eggs.

The Chihuahuan Raven, is a large bird of the crow family found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. They are known for their glossy black feathers and distinctive wedge-shaped tail.

These birds are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, from deserts to mountainous regions. They are omnivorous and feed on a variety of food, including insects, small mammals, carrion, and plant matter.

The Chihuahuan Raven is known for its intelligence and problem-solving abilities, which are comparable to those of chimpanzees and dolphins. They have been observed using tools, such as sticks, to obtain food and have been shown to be able to recognize human faces.

The vocalizations of the Chihuahuan Raven are varied and include a range of calls, from deep croaks to high-pitched caws. They are also known to mimic the sounds of other animals, such as dogs and cats.

The Red-Winged Blackbird is a familiar sight across North America, especially in wetlands and open areas. Known for its striking coloration and distinct call, it is often seen perched on cattails or utility lines.

Appearance: Male Red-Winged Blackbirds are glossy black with bright red-and-yellow shoulder patches, while females are streaky brown, resembling a large sparrow. The males’ red patches become more prominent when they’re displaying or agitated.

Diet: Red-Winged Blackbirds primarily feed on seeds and insects. Their diet includes grains, sunflower seeds, and corn, but they also eat beetles, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates, especially in the breeding season.

Reproduction: Red-Winged Blackbirds nest in marshes, along watercourses, and in wet fields. The female constructs a cup-shaped nest using grass and sedge, attaching it to plants above water. She typically lays a clutch of 3 to 4 blue-green eggs, which she incubates for about 11-12 days. Males, being polygynous, often have multiple mates during a single breeding season.

The Common Grackle is a conspicuous bird found across much of North America, recognized for its glossy-black plumage, long tail, and piercing yellow eyes. Its vocalizations are varied and include a range of harsh, grating calls.

Appearance: The Common Grackle has a sleek black body with a glossy-iridescent sheen that can appear purple, green, or blue in certain lights. Its tail is long and keel-shaped. While both males and females have similar coloration, males are noticeably larger and shinier than females.

Diet: Common Grackles are omnivores. They primarily consume seeds, berries, and insects. However, they are also known to eat small fish, amphibians, and other birds’ eggs, especially when foraging on the ground or in shallow water.

Reproduction: Common Grackles breed in open and semi-open areas. The female typically selects the nest site and constructs a bulky nest made of grasses, twigs, and other plant materials, often in shrubs or trees. She lays a clutch of about 1 to 7 eggs, which are pale blue and spotted with brown.

The Brown-Headed Cowbird is a unique North American bird known for its brood parasitism behavior. Rather than building its own nests, it lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species.

Appearance: Male Brown-Headed Cowbirds are glossy black with a distinct brown head, while females are plain gray-brown without the brown head. Both have a stout shape with a finch-like bill and a short tail.

Diet: Brown-Headed Cowbirds primarily feed on seeds, including grasses and grains. They also consume insects, especially during the breeding season. These birds often forage on the ground, commonly seen in open habitats like fields or pastures.

Reproduction: Unique among North American birds, the Brown-Headed Cowbird is a brood parasite. Instead of building its own nest, the female lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species. The unwitting host then raises the cowbird chick, often at the expense of its own offspring. The female can lay up to 40 eggs in a single breeding season, spread across multiple host nests.

The Western Jackdaw is a sociable and intelligent bird, widely recognized for its playful nature and strong affiliation with urban environments.

Appearance: Western Jackdaws are relatively small, with a glossy black plumage that adorns most of their body. However, the sides of their head and nape are light grey. Their striking pale eyes are another distinguishing feature.

Diet: Primarily omnivorous, Western Jackdaws feed on a wide range of items. They prefer seeds, fruits, and insects, but their adaptable nature means they often scavenge for scraps in urban settings, including leftover human foods.

Reproduction: Western Jackdaws are monogamous, often forming bonds that last a lifetime. They prefer to nest in cavities, be it natural ones in trees or man-made structures like chimneys. The female typically lays a clutch of 4 to 6 eggs, which both parents help incubate and raise.

The Western Rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the crow family recognized for its gregarious nature and impressive adaptability. This bird is almost entirely black, with a slightly purplish gloss on its plumage visible in certain lighting. One distinguishing feature is its bare, greyish-white face around the base of its bill, which gives it an appearance different from other crows. The Western Rook’s strong, pointed bill is particularly well-suited to its largely granivorous diet.

Native to Europe and western Asia, the Western Rook is typically found in agricultural and open habitats, where it can often be seen in large flocks foraging on farmland. Its diet primarily consists of invertebrates, plant material, and agricultural grains, but it is highly opportunistic and will consume almost any food items available. Although the species is currently of least concern, changes in agricultural practices can impact their food supply, making ongoing monitoring and habitat management essential to their conservation.

The Black-Billed Magpie is a striking bird native to the western half of North America, recognized for its bold black and white plumage and long tail. Its vocalizations are varied, including harsh chatters and melodious notes, and it’s known to be both curious and intelligent.

Appearance: The Black-Billed Magpie has a unique appearance with its glossy black head, chest, and tail contrasting sharply against its white belly and shoulder patches. Its long tail, which is iridescent greenish-blue, is one of its most distinguishing features. The wings also display a hint of iridescent blue-green.

Diet: Black-Billed Magpies are omnivorous and have a diverse diet. They primarily eat insects, especially in summer, but will also consume small mammals, berries, seeds, and carrion. They are often seen scavenging roadkill and are known to store food in the ground for later consumption.

Reproduction: Black-Billed Magpies mate monogamously and usually build large, domed nests in trees or large shrubs. These nests are made from twigs and mud and can be quite elaborate. The female lays a clutch of about 6 to 9 eggs, which are greenish or bluish and speckled with brown.

The Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), also known as Yellow-Billed Chough, is a distinctive bird species belonging to the crow family. It is known for its glossy black plumage, contrasting bright yellow bill, and red legs. Its acrobatic flight displays and high-pitched calls distinguish it in its alpine environment. Unlike most other crows, the Alpine Chough shows a preference for high altitudes, often nesting on rocky cliff faces and foraging in alpine meadows.

The species is widely distributed across mountain ranges of Southern Europe, the Alps, and Central Asia, reaching altitudes of up to 4,000 meters or even higher. Alpine Choughs have a varied diet that includes invertebrates, seeds, fruits, and are also known to scavenge from human sources. They are highly social birds that often feed, roost, and fly in large flocks. Although currently not threatened, they could face future challenges due to climate change and alterations in land use affecting their high-altitude habitats. Therefore, ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts remain crucial.

The European Starling is a highly adaptable bird, recognized for its iridescent plumage and uncanny ability to mimic a variety of sounds, from other birds to mechanical noises.

Appearance: European Starlings showcase glossy black feathers with a purple or green sheen, especially prominent during the breeding season. Their winter plumage is speckled with white dots. Both males and females have a similar appearance, but juveniles are gray-brown overall until their first winter.

Diet: These birds are omnivorous, consuming a wide range of foods. Their diet includes insects, seeds, fruits, and occasionally even small vertebrates. European Starlings are known to forage in groups, often seen probing the ground with their strong, pointed bills.

Reproduction: European Starlings are cavity nesters, selecting sites such as holes in trees, buildings, or other structures. After a courtship display that involves singing and wing-flapping, the female lays a clutch of about 4 to 6 eggs