American Crow (Common Crow)

A completely black, robust flight feather with a glossy sheen. The American Crow is an intelligent, highly social, and vocal bird known for its glossy black plumage, strong wedge-shaped bill, and adaptable nature across diverse landscapes

Solid uniform iridescent black with subtle purplish and greenish gloss under direct light, typical of corvid melanin pigmentation without structural white banding

Strongly pennaceous vane structure with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels, exhibiting some local fraying and separation along the middle web

Stiff and smooth with a slight glossy sheen on the upper surface, offering high resistance to wind wear during active flapping flight

Solid iridescent black coloration, robust central rachis, stiff pennaceous barbs, and elongated flight feather proportions without any barring or white patches

Highly adaptable, found in open woodlands, agricultural fields, pastures, parks, suburban neighborhoods, and urban areas

Widespread across North America, ranging from Canada down through the United States and into northern Mexico, largely resident year-round

Acts as an important generalist scavenger and seed disperser, helping maintain ecosystem cleanliness while playing a dynamic role in local food webs

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) and Common Raven (Corvus corax). Fish crows are nearly identical in feather appearance but generally smaller, while ravens possess significantly larger and thicker flight feathers with elongated throat hackles

American Crows have complex social structures, use tools, recognize human faces, and pass down cultural knowledge across generations

Fair condition with visible wear and tear along the mid-vane where barbs have separated, indicating the feather has spent time exposed to the elements after molting