Fauna Flora Photography

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

A large, common seen bird around Montreal. The species is well adapted to human life and can be observed in almost every park on island Montreal as well as within the city itself.

Specs

Length40-50cm
Weight400-600g
Wingspan90-100cm

Common Names

GermanAmerikanerkrähe
EnglishAmerican Crow
FrenchCorneille d'Amérique
SpanishCuervo americano

Taxonomy

OrderPasseriformes
FamilyCorvidae
SpeciesCorvus brachyrhynchos

How to Identify

The species is all black. The tail is almost as long as the rest of the bird. Males are a bit larger than females. Difficult to distinguish from the Common Raven which is larger in size. If you are near central Montreal and you see this bird, it is most probably a crow. Outside of the island, look at the tail when flying, raven displays a diamond while the crow’s tail is flat.

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) - Pippy Park - 2017-08-15
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) - Parc des Rapides - 2017-04-29
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) - Parc Mont-Royal - 2016-03-04
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) - Mont Saint Bruno - 2015-05-17

Where and When to Spot

All year long. During the warmer season, this species tends to move around in small flocks while in winter they are more often looking for food alone.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Belvédère Outremont x - - x
Boisé Des Douze x - - -
Jardin Botanique de Montréal x - x -
Parc Angrignon x x x x
Parc Michel-Chartrand - - - x
Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies x - - -
Parc de la Frayère x - - x
Parc des Rapides x - - x
Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - x - -

Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.


Last updated on 2023-12-15. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.