Hooded crow

The hooded crow is a pretty bird.

It has ash-grey feathers. Its head and wings are black.

This bird eats many things. It can eat meat or nuts. It even eats small bugs.

It can find food in a rain gutter. This bird lives in many lands. It stays in Europe and the Middle East. It is a clever bird.

The hooded crow is a clever bird with a unique look.

Most of its feathers are ash-grey. Its head, throat, wings, and tail are black.

This bird is an omnivore. That means it eats many different things. It eats meat, nuts, and small bugs.

It is also a scavenger. It looks for food that is left behind. It even drops shells to break them open.

Hooded crows live in many places. They are found in Europe and the Middle East. Some live in very warm areas. Others live in cold places like Russia. In Iraq, some have very pale grey feathers. They look almost white from far away.

These birds are very smart. They often hide food to eat later. They might hide meat or nuts in a rain gutter or under a bush. Other crows will watch them. The other crows then try to find the hidden food! This bird can live for a long time. Some have lived for over 16 years.

The hooded crow is a striking bird found in many parts of the world.

It lives across much of Europe and parts of the Middle East. This bird is easily recognized by its unique colors. Most of its feathers are an ash-grey color. However, its head, throat, wings, tail, and thighs are all black.

Its eyes and bill are also black. This bird is an omnivore, which means it eats many different types of food. It is also a scavenger that looks for food left behind by others.

Finding food is a busy job for a hooded crow. They eat meat, nuts, and insects to stay healthy.

They are very clever at finding meals. Sometimes they drop hard shells, like crabs, to break them open. They might even steal eggs from the nests of other birds.

These crows often hide their food for later. They might tuck meat or nuts into a rain gutter or under a bush. Other crows often watch them do this. The watching crows will then try to find the hidden food once the first crow leaves.

Scientists have spent a long time studying these birds. A famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus first described the bird in 1758. He gave it the scientific name Corvus cornix. For a long time, people thought it was a separate species from the all-black carrion crow. In 2002, the British Ornithologists' Union officially classified it as its own species. However, things changed again in 2025. The new global AviBase decided that the hooded crow and the carrion crow are actually the same species. Now, they are seen as different versions, or subspecies, of the same bird.

There are several different types of hooded crows.

The most common type lives in places like Ireland and much of Europe. Another type, called C. c. sharpii, is a paler grey bird. It lives from western Siberia to Iran. There is also a very small version called C. c. pallescens found near Cyprus and Egypt. In Iraq, there is a type called C. c. capellanus that has very pale grey feathers. From a distance, these birds can look almost white. These different groups help the birds live in many different climates.

These birds are part of a very large family. They are closely related to other crows and ravens. Just like the crows you might see in a park, they are very smart and social. They build big nests out of sticks in tall trees or on old buildings. In some places, like Scotland, people have long stories about them. Some people even thought they were connected to fairies. Whether they are part of old legends or just busy neighbors in your garden, they are amazing creatures to watch.

The hooded crow, known scientifically as Corvus cornix, is a distinctive Eurasian bird.

It belongs to the genus Corvus, which includes ravens and other crows. This bird is easily recognized by its two-tone plumage. Most of its body is covered in ash-grey feathers. However, its head, throat, wings, tail, and thighs are a glossy black.

Its bill, eyes, and feet are also black. This bird is an omnivorous scavenger. This means it eats a wide variety of foods and often searches for leftovers. It is a highly adaptable species found across Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East.

Understanding how these birds function requires looking at their biology and behavior. The hooded crow is an opportunistic feeder, meaning it takes advantage of whatever food is available. It often uses clever methods to access meals. For example, it will drop mollusks or crabs onto hard surfaces to break their shells.

This behavior is similar to that of the carrion crow. They are also known to steal eggs from the nests of birds like gulls or puffins. To prepare for later, they often hide food like meat or nuts in rain gutters or under bushes. Interestingly, other crows often watch this process. They wait for the first crow to leave so they can steal the hidden treasure.

There are several distinct subspecies of the hooded crow.

The most common is C. c. cornix, which lives in Ireland, Scotland, and much of Europe. Another subspecies, C. c. sharpii, is a paler grey form found from western Siberia to Iran. In the Middle East, the smallest subspecies is C. c. pallescens, found near Cyprus and Egypt. A very unique form, C. c. capellanus, lives in Iraq and southwestern Iran. This bird has very pale grey feathers that look almost white from a distance. Some scientists believe this specific group might even be a separate species entirely.

The history of how we classify these birds is quite complex. Carl Linnaeus first described the bird in 1758 in his work, Systema Naturae. He gave it the name Corvus cornix. For many years, scientists debated if it was a separate species from the all-black carrion crow. In 2002, the British Ornithologists' Union classified it as its own species. However, in 2025, the global AviBase re-classified them. They decided that the hooded crow and the carrion crow are actually the same species. Under this new system, the birds are divided into six subspecies: four are grey-and-black, and two are all-black.

Genetic research explains why these birds look so different. Scientists sequenced the genomes of both the hooded and carrion crows. They found the two groups are nearly genetically identical in their DNA. The main difference is a very small part of the genome. Specifically, the hooded crow lacks the expression of less than 0.28% of the genome on avian chromosome 18. This tiny genetic difference is what causes the lighter plumage on its torso. Despite these differences, the birds can still mate with each other. This is called assortative mating, where the birds mostly choose mates that look like themselves.

In terms of size and life, the hooded crow is a sturdy bird. Its wingspan is roughly 100 centimeters, and it weighs about 510 grams on average. Male hooded crows are generally larger than the females. They build large, bulky nests out of sticks in tall trees, cliffs, or even old buildings.

These nests often include seaweed, animal bones, or even wire. The female alone incubates the blue, brown-speckled eggs for about 17 to 19 days. While the lifespan of carrion crows is usually four years, the maximum recorded age for a hooded crow is over 16 years. This shows they can live quite long lives in the wild.

The hooded crow also holds a significant place in human culture and ecology. In Irish folklore, the bird is linked to powerful figures like the Morrígan. In the Scottish highlands, people once associated them with fairies. Ecologically, they serve as hosts for the great spotted cuckoo in certain regions. They are also part of a massive population, with an estimated 14 to 34 million individuals in Europe alone. Because they are so widespread and successful, they are currently evaluated as a species of "least concern" by the IUCN Red List.