American Crow

This is a small, coal-black contour feather from an American Crow. These birds are large, inquisitive passerines known for their entire plumage being glossy black. They have a stout bill, broad wings, and a squared-off tail in flight.

Uniformly iridescent black to dark obsidian. The dorsal surface shows a subtle blue-violet or greenish sheen typical of melanin-based structural color in corvids.

The lower portion is plumulaceous (loose and downy for insulation), while the upper distal half is pennaceous (tightly interlocked for protection and water repellency).

Smooth and glossy in the pennaceous section; soft, silky, and insulating in the plumulaceous section.

Uniform black coloration with iridescent gloss, rounded tip, and a significant downy base portion.

Found in varied environments including open woodlands, agricultural fields, urban parks, and suburban gardens.

Common year-round resident across most of North America, from southern Canada throughout the United States and into northern Mexico.

Omnivorous scavengers and predators; they play a vital role in cleaning up carrion and controlling insect populations.

Common Raven (larger feathers, more oily sheen), Fish Crow (visually identical, requires location/call for ID), or Brewer's Blackbird (much smaller contour feathers).

Crows are among the most intelligent birds, capable of tool use, recognizing individual human faces, and participating in complex social 'neighbor-watch' systems.

Good; showing typical separation of the downy barbs at the base but intact pennaceous edges at the tip.