American Crow

The American Crow is a familiar, highly intelligent medium-sized black bird with a robust bill, strong legs, and a strong, steady flight style. Their feathers are dense, weatherproof, and often display beautiful purplish or greenish iridescence in bright sunlight.

Solid uniform dark charcoal black to iridescent dark grey-black with subtle metallic sheen under direct light, typical of corvid plumage

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels along the upper portion, transitioning to semiplume or plumulaceous fluffy down at the base

Stiff and smooth along the pennaceous vane, soft and downy at the base, with a subtle glossy sheen

Solid black coloration with subtle iridescence, stout rachis, and a mixture of stiff pennaceous vane and fluffy basal down

Open woodlands, agricultural fields, parks, urban and suburban areas, and coastal regions

Widespread throughout North America, ranging from southern Canada across most of the United States to northern Mexico

Act as important generalist scavengers and predators helping clean up organic matter, while also aiding in seed dispersal

Common Raven (Corvus corax), which has much larger, lanceolate throat feathers and longer primary flight feathers; Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), which is nearly identical visually but noticeably smaller

Crows are among the smartest birds on Earth, capable of using tools, recognizing human faces, and passing complex information down through generations

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal fraying, showing standard wear for a naturally molted feather