Hooded crow

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Hooded crow
Nebelkrahe Corvus cornix, Belvedere, Wien.jpg
At the garden of Belvedere, Vienna
Croaking of hooded crow in Kyiv
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Species:
C. cornix
Binomial name
Corvus cornix
Corvus cornix map.svg

The hooded crow (Corvus cornix), also called the scald-crow or hoodie, [1] is a Eurasian bird species in the genus Corvus . Widely distributed, it is found across Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East. It is an ashy grey bird with black head, throat, wings, tail, and thigh feathers, as well as a black bill, eyes, and feet. Like other corvids, it is an omnivorous and opportunistic forager and feeder.

Contents

The hooded crow is so similar in morphology and habits to the carrion crow (Corvus corone) that for many years they were considered by most authorities to be geographical races of one species. Hybridization observed where their ranges overlapped added weight to this view. However, since 2002, the hooded crow has been elevated to full species status after closer observation; the hybridisation was less than expected and hybrids had decreased vigour. [2] [3] Within the hooded crow species, four subspecies are recognized.

Taxonomy

The hooded crow was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae; he gave it the binomial name Corvus cornix. [4] Linnaeus specified the type locality as "Europa", but this was restricted to Sweden by the German ornithologist Ernst Hartert in 1903. [5] [6] The genus name Corvus is Latin for "raven" while the specific epithet cornix is Latin for "crow". [7] The hooded crow was subsequently considered a subspecies of the carrion crow for many years, [8] hence known as Corvus corone cornix, due to similarities in structure and habits. [9] "Hooded crow" has been designated as the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC). [10] It is locally known as a 'hoodie craw' or simply 'hoodie' in Scotland and as a grey crow in Northern Ireland. [11] It is also known locally as "Scotch crow" and "Danish crow". In Irish, it is called caróg liath, or the "grey crow", as its name also means in the Slavic languages and in Danish. It is referred to as the "fog crow" (Nebelkrähe) in German, and the "dolman crow" (dolmányos varjú) in Hungarian.[ citation needed ]

Subspecies

Four subspecies of the hooded crow are now recognised; [10] previously, all were considered subspecies of Corvus corone. [12] A fifth subspecies, C. c. sardonius (Kleinschmidt, 1903) has been listed, [6] although it has been alternately partitioned between C. c. sharpii (most populations), C. c. cornix (Corsican population), and the Middle Eastern C. c. pallescens.[ citation needed ]

Genetic difference from carrion crows

A map of Europe indicating the distribution of the carrion and hooded crows on either side of a contact zone (white line) separating the two species Distribution of carrion and hooded crows across Europe.jpg
A map of Europe indicating the distribution of the carrion and hooded crows on either side of a contact zone (white line) separating the two species

The hooded crow (Corvus cornix) and carrion crow (Corvus corone) are two closely related species whose geographical distribution across Europe is illustrated in the accompanying diagram. It is believed that this distribution might have resulted from the glaciation cycles during the Pleistocene, which caused the parent population to split into isolates which subsequently re-expanded their ranges when the climate warmed causing secondary contact. [3] [15] Jelmer Poelstra and coworkers sequenced almost the entire genomes of both species in populations at varying distances from the contact zone to find that the two species were nearly genetically identical, both in their DNA and in its expression (in the form of mRNA), except for the lack of expression of a small portion (<0.28%) of the genome (situated on avian chromosome 18) in the hooded crow, which imparts the lighter plumage colouration on its torso. [3] Thus the two species can viably hybridize, and occasionally do so at the contact zone, but the all-black carrion crows on the one side of the contact zone mate almost exclusively with other all-black carrion crows, while the same occurs among the hooded crows on the other side of the contact zone. They concluded that it was only the outward appearance of the two species that inhibits hybridization. [3] [15]

Description

Except for the head, throat, wings, tail, and thigh feathers, which are black and mostly glossy, the plumage of the hooded crow is ash-grey, with the dark shafts giving it a streaky appearance. The bill and legs are black; the iris dark brown. Only one moult occurs, in autumn, as in other crow species. Male hooded crows tend to be larger than females, although the two sexes are otherwise similar in appearance. Their flight is slow, heavy and usually straight.[ citation needed ] Their length varies from 48 to 52 cm (19 to 20 in). When first hatched, the young are much blacker than the parents. Juveniles have duller plumage with bluish or greyish eyes, and initially possess a red mouth. Wingspan is 105 cm (41 in) and weight is on average 510 g. [16]

The hooded crow, with its contrasted greys and blacks, is visually distinct from both the carrion crow and the rook, but the kraa ⓘ call notes of the hooded and carrion crows are almost indistinguishable. [9]

Distribution

A hooded crow in flight at Isfahan, Iran Flying Crow.jpg
A hooded crow in flight at Isfahan, Iran
A group of hooded crows in Tehran, Iran khlG prkh llh.jpg
A group of hooded crows in Tehran, Iran

The hooded crow breeds in northern and eastern Europe, and closely allied forms inhabit southern Europe and western Asia. Where its range overlaps with that of the carrion crow, as in northern Britain, Germany, Denmark, northern Italy, and Siberia, their hybrids are fertile. However, the hybrids are less well-adapted than purebred birds (one of the reasons behind its reclassification as a distinct species from the carrion crow). [17]

In the British Isles, the hooded crow breeds regularly in Scotland, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish Islands; it also breeds widely in Ireland. In autumn, some migratory birds arrive on the east coast of Britain. In the past, this was a more common visitor. [18]

Behaviour

Diet

Hooded crow searching a rain gutter, probably for food, in Berlin
The hooded crow is a typical omnivore Kraka (Corvus corone) - Ystad-2023.jpg
The hooded crow is a typical omnivore

The hooded crow is omnivorous, with a diet similar to that of the carrion crow, and is a constant scavenger. It drops molluscs and crabs to break them after the manner of the carrion crow, to the point that an old Scottish name for empty sea urchin shells was "crow's cups". [18] On coastal cliffs, the eggs of gulls, cormorants, and other birds are stolen when their owners are absent, and hooded crows will enter the burrows of puffins to steal eggs. It will also feed on small mammals, scraps, smaller birds, and carrion. The hooded crow often hides food to feed on later, especially meat, nuts, and any insects that may be present on these, in places such as rain gutters, flower pots, or in the earth under bushes. Other crows will often watch a crow that hides food and then search the hiding place later when the first crow has left.[ citation needed ]

Nesting

Nesting occurs later in colder regions: mid-May to mid-June in northwest Russia, Shetland, and the Faroe Islands, and late February in the Persian Gulf region. [13] In warmer parts of the European Archipelago, the clutch is laid in April. [19] The bulky stick nest is normally placed in a tall tree, but cliff ledges, old buildings, and pylons may be used. Nests are occasionally placed on or near the ground. The nest resembles that of the carrion crow, but on the coast, seaweed is often interwoven in the structure, and animal bones and wire are also frequently incorporated. [18] [20] The four to six brown-speckled blue eggs are 4.3 cm × 3.0 cm (1+3⁄4 in × 1+1⁄8 in) in size and weigh 19.8 g (11⁄16 oz), of which 6% is shell. [16] The altricial young are incubated for 17–19 days by the female alone, that is fed by the male. They fledge after 32 to 36 days. Incubating females have been reported to obtain most of their own food and later that for their young. [21]

The typical lifespan is unknown, but that of the carrion crow is four years. [22] The maximum recorded age for a hooded crow is 16 years, and 9 months. [16]

This species is a secondary host of the parasitic great spotted cuckoo, the European magpie being the preferred host. However, in areas where the latter species is absent, such as Israel and Egypt, the hooded crow becomes the normal corvid host. [23]

This species, like its relative, is regularly killed by farmers and on grouse estates. In County Cork, Ireland, the county's gun clubs shot over 23,000 hooded crows in two years in the early 1980s. [18] Since 1981, they have been protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning it is illegal to knowingly kill, injure, or capture them. [24]

Status

The IUCN Red List does not distinguish the hooded crow from the carrion crow, but the two species together have an extensive range, estimated at 10 million square kilometres (4 million square miles), and a large population, including an estimated 14 to 34 million individuals in Europe alone. They are not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations), so are evaluated as least concern. [16] [25] The carrion crow and hooded crow hybrid zone is slowly spreading northwest, but the hooded crow has on the order of three million territories in just Europe (excluding Russia). [20] This movement is also attested to by the fact that in April 2020 the hooded crow was redlisted in Sweden, where the Species Information Centre does distinguish between hooded and carrion crow. [26]

Cultural significance

In Irish folklore, the bird appears on the shoulder of the dying Cú Chulainn, [27] and could also be a manifestation of the Morrígan, the wife of Tethra, or the Cailleach. [28] This idea has persisted, and the hooded crow is associated with fairies in the Scottish highlands and Ireland; in the 18th century, Scottish shepherds would make offerings to them to keep them from attacking sheep. [29] In Faroese folklore, a maiden would go out on Candlemas morn and throw a stone, then a bone, then a clump of turf at a hooded crow – if it flew over the sea, her husband would be a foreigner; if it landed on a farm or house, she would marry a man from there, but if it stayed put, she would remain unmarried. [30]

The old name of Royston crow originates from the days when this bird was a common winter visitor to southern England, with the sheep fields around Royston, Hertfordshire providing carcasses on which the birds could feed. The local newspaper, founded in 1855, is called The Royston Crow , [18] and the hooded crow also features on the town's coat of arms. [31]

The hooded crow is one of the 37 Norwegian birds depicted in the Bird Room of the Royal Palace in Oslo. [32] Jethro Tull mentions the hooded crow on the song "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow" as a bonus track on the digitally remastered version of Broadsword and the Beast and on their The Christmas Album. [33]

In January 2014, a hooded crow and a yellow-legged gull each attacked one of two peace doves which Pope Francis had allowed children to release in Vatican City. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corvidae</span> Family of perching birds

Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family or corvids. Currently, 139 species are included in this family. The genus Corvus containing 50 species makes up over a third of the entire family. Corvids (ravens) are the largest passerines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrion crow</span> Species of bird

The carrion crow is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae, native to western Europe and the eastern Palearctic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian raven</span> Passerine bird native to Australia

The Australian raven is a passerine corvid bird native to Australia. Measuring 46–53 centimetres (18–21 in) in length, it has an all-black plumage, beak and mouth, as well as strong, greyish-black legs and feet. The upperparts of its body are glossy, with a purple-blue, greenish sheen; its black feathers have grey bases. The Australian raven is distinguished from the Australian crow, and other related corvids, by its long chest feathers, or throat hackles, which are prominent in mature birds. Older individuals and subadults have white irises, while the younger birds' eyes display blue inner rims; hatchlings and young birds have brown, dark irises until about fifteen months of age, at which point their irises become hazel-coloured, with an inner blue rim around each pupil, this lasting until they are roughly 2.5 to 3 years of age. Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield described the Australian raven in 1827, its species name coronoides highlighting its similarity with the carrion crow. Two subspecies are recognised, which differ slightly in their vocalisations, and are quite divergent, genetically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western jackdaw</span> Species of bird in the crow family Corvidae

The western jackdaw, also known as the Eurasian jackdaw, the European jackdaw, or simply the jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa; it is mostly resident, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in the winter. Four subspecies are recognised, which differ mainly in the colouration of the plumage on the head and nape. Linnaeus first described it formally, giving it the name Corvus monedula. The common name derives from the word jack, denoting "small", and daw, a less common synonym for "jackdaw", and the native English name for the bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American crow</span> Species of bird

The American crow is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow and the hooded crow of Eurasia; they all occupy the same ecological niche. Although the American crow and the hooded crow are very similar in size, structure and behavior, their calls and visual appearance are different.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian jay</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian jay is a species of passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The Eurasian jay is a woodland bird that occurs over a vast region from western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia. Across this vast range, several distinct racial forms have evolved which look different from each other, especially when comparing forms at the extremes of its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared crow</span> Species of bird

The collared crow, also known as the ring-necked crow or white-collared crow, is a member of the family Corvidae native to China and north of Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large-billed crow</span> Species of bird

The large-billed crow, formerly referred to widely as the jungle crow, is a widespread Asian species of crow. It is very adaptable and is able to survive on a wide range of food sources, making it capable of colonizing new areas, due to which it is often considered a nuisance, especially on islands. It has a large bill, which is the source of its scientific name macrorhynchos and it is sometimes known by the common name thick-billed crow. It can also be mistaken for a common raven. The eastern jungle crow and Indian jungle crow were once considered conspecific and together called the jungle crow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser black-backed gull</span> Species of bird

The lesser black-backed gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especially along the east coast. Formerly just a winter visitor to North America, it has increased and occurs in large numbers some winters and birds are now recorded year-round. However, there is serious concern about decline in many parts of its range. The species is on the UK Amber List because the UK is home to 40 per cent of the European population and more than half of these are found at fewer than ten breeding sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great spotted cuckoo</span> Species of bird

The great spotted cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brambling</span> Species of bird

The brambling is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It has also been called the cock o' the north and the mountain finch. It is widespread and migratory, often seen in very large flocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common raven</span> Large, black, passerine bird of the Northern Hemisphere

The common raven is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is a raven known by many names at the subspecies level; there are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance, although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the thick-billed raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the common raven averages 63 centimetres in length and 1.47 kilograms in mass. Although their typical lifespan is considerably shorter, common ravens can live more than 23 years in the wild. Young birds may travel in flocks but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian koel</span> Species of bird

The Asian koel is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with the closely related black-billed koels, and Pacific koels which are sometimes treated as subspecies. The Asian koel like many of its related cuckoo kin is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of crows and other hosts, who raise its young. They are unusual among the cuckoos in being largely frugivorous as adults. The name koel is echoic in origin with several language variants. The bird is a widely used symbol in Indian and Nepali poetry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crow</span> Index of animals with the same common name

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<i>Corvus</i> Genus of birds including crows, ravens and rooks

Corvus is a widely distributed genus of passerine birds ranging from medium-sized to large-sized in the family Corvidae. It includes species commonly known as crows, ravens, and rooks. The species commonly encountered in Europe are the carrion crow, hooded crow, common raven, and rook; those discovered later were named "crow" or "raven" chiefly on the basis of their size, crows generally being smaller. The genus name is Latin for "raven".

The Royston Crow is a newspaper published in Royston, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded by John Warren in 1855. The newspaper is now a weekly publication, part of the Archant group. The newspaper's name is taken from a local name for the bird hooded crow.

In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, published in 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus described 554 species of bird and gave each a binomial name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern carrion crow</span> Subspecies of bird

The eastern carrion crow is a member of the crow family and a subspecies of the carrion crow. Differences from the nominate subspecies include a larger size, at a length about 500 millimetres (20 in), and more graduated outer tail feathers. The eastern carrion crow is found in Siberia from the Yenisei to Japan, south to Central Asia, Afghanistan, Eastern Iran, Kashmir, Tibet and northern China. They generally lay three to five eggs in trees or buildings. The eggs show no difference from the nominate subspecies.

References

  1. ↑ Greenoak, F. (1979). All the Birds of the Air; the Names, Lore and Literature of British Birds. Book Club Associates, London.
  2. ↑ Parkin, David T. (2003). "Birding and DNA: species for the new millennium". Bird Study. 50 (3): 223–242. Bibcode:2003BirdS..50..223P. doi: 10.1080/00063650309461316 .
  3. 1 2 3 4 Poelstra, J.W.; Vijay, N.; Bossu, C.M.; Lantz, H.; Ryll, B.; Müller, I.; Baglione, V.; Unneberg, P.; Wikelski, M.; Grabherr, M.G.; Wolf, J.B.W. (2014). "The genomic landscape underlying phenotypic integrity in the face of gene flow in crows". Science. 344 (6190): 1410–1414. Bibcode:2014Sci...344.1410P. doi:10.1126/science.1253226. PMID   24948738. S2CID   14431499.
  4. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata (in Latin). Vol. v.1. Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii). p. 105. C. cineraſ cens, caplte gula alis caudaque nigris.
  5. ↑ Hartert, Ernst (1909). Die Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna (in German). Vol. 1. Berlin: R. Friedländer und Sohn. p. 9.
  6. 1 2 Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 271–272.
  7. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  119, 118. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. ↑ Vere Benson, S. (1972). The Observer's Book of Birds. London: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd. ISBN   978-0-7232-1513-4.
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  10. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Crows, mudnesters, birds-of-paradise". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  11. ↑ Macafee, CI, ed. (1996). A Concise Ulster Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-863132-3.
  12. ↑ Dickinson, E.C.; Remsen, J.V. Jr., eds. (2013). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Non-passerines (4th ed.). Eastbourne, UK: Aves Press. p. 236. ISBN   978-0-9568611-0-8.
  13. 1 2 3 Goodwin, D. (1983). Crows of the World. Queensland University Press, St Lucia, Qld. ISBN   978-0-7022-1015-0.
  14. ↑ Madge, Steve & Burn, Hilary (1994): Crows and jays: a guide to the crows, jays and magpies of the world. A&C Black, London. ISBN   0-7136-3999-7
  15. 1 2 de Knijf, Peter (2014). "How carrion and hooded crows defeat Linnaeus's curse". Science. 344 (6190): 1345–1346. Bibcode:2014Sci...344.1345D. doi:10.1126/science.1255744. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   24948724. S2CID   207790306.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Hooded Crow Corvus cornix[Linnaeus, 1758]". BTOWeb BirdFacts. British Trust for Ornithology. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  17. ↑ Jones, Steve (1999): Almost Like A Whale: The Origin Of Species Updated. Doubleday, Garden City. ISBN   978-0-385-40985-8
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Cocker, Mark; Mabey, Richard (2005). Birds Britannica. London: Chatto & Windus. pp. 418–425. ISBN   978-0-7011-6907-7.
  19. ↑ Evans, G (1972). The Observer's Book of Birds' Eggs. London: Warne. p. 18. ISBN   978-0-7232-0060-4.
  20. 1 2 Snow, David; Perrins, Christopher M., eds. (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic concise edition (2 volumes). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 1478–1480. ISBN   978-0-19-854099-1.
  21. ↑ Yom-Tov, Yoram (June 1974). "The effect of food and predation on breeding density and success, clutch size and laying date of the crow (Corvus corone L.)". Journal of Animal Ecology. 43 (2): 479–498. Bibcode:1974JAnEc..43..479Y. doi:10.2307/3378. JSTOR   3378.
  22. ↑ "Carrion Crow Corvus corone[Linnaeus, 1758]". BTOWeb BirdFacts. British Trust for Ornithology. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  23. ↑ Snow & Perrins (1998) 873–4
  24. ↑ "Hooded Crow Bird Facts (Corvus cornix)". Birdfact. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  25. ↑ BirdLife International (2004). "Corvus corone". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004: e.T22706016A26497956. Retrieved 5 May 2006.
  26. ↑ "Fågelarter på rödlistan | SLU Artdatabanken".
  27. ↑ Armstrong, Edward A. (1970) [1958]. The Folklore of Birds. Dover. p. 81. ISBN   978-0-486-22145-8.
  28. ↑ Armstrong, p. 83
  29. ↑ Ingersoll, Ernest (1923). Birds in legend, fable and folklore. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. p.  165 . Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  30. ↑ Armstrong, Edward A. (1970) [1958]. The Folklore of Birds. Dover. p. 74. ISBN   978-0-486-22145-8.
  31. ↑ "Royston Town Council (Herts)". Civic Heraldry of England and Wales.
  32. ↑ "The Bird Room". The Norwegian Royal Family - Official Website. The Norwegian Royal Family. 3 February 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  33. ↑ Anderson, Ian (2007). "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Special Edition Features Bonus DVD in USA!". Jethro Tull - The Official Website. Jethro Tull. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-17.
  34. ↑ Bever, Lindsey (January 26, 2015). "How killer birds forced Pope Francis to change a Vatican tradition: Releasing doves for peace". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2015-07-10.
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