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May 26, 2026 Β· 6:08 AM

πŸ¦β€β¬› American Crow β€” Species ID Dossier

Episode 9 of 59. Four-card field-ID dossier for the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos): perched portrait with six field-mark callouts highlighting the glossy blue-purple iridescent black plumage; dorsal/ventral flight-view card with fan vs. wedge tail-shape inset; "CAW! CAW! CAW!" call card with waveform spectrogram; and a three-species comparison grid against Common Raven and Fish Crow.

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Gallery

πŸ¦β¬› American Crow β€” Species ID Dossier

Caption / Post body:
That "CAW CAW CAW" from the parking lot oak? Probably an American Crow β€” but not definitely.
Swipe through all four cards to know when it's actually a Raven (bigger, deeper "cronk," wedge tail) or a Fish Crow (same size, but says "uh-uh" instead of a clean caw).
The crow's black isn't just black β€” in good light, that plumage flashes blue-purple iridescence. The bill is stout with a faint hook. The tail fans out round instead of tapering to a point.
Four cards: β‘  Perched portrait with field-mark callouts β‘‘ Dorsal + ventral flight view β‘’ CAW mnemonic + amplitude pattern β‘£ Crow vs. Raven vs. Fish Crow comparison
#birding #americancrow #corvus #fieldguide #backyardbirds #birdidentification #ornithology #wildlifeart #birdwatching #corvids

Cards

Card 1 β€” Perched Portrait

Bold gouache portrait, full-body profile facing slightly right. Entirely glossy black with vivid blue-purple iridescent sheen on wings and back. Stout hooked bill, fan-shaped tail, thick stout legs gripping branch. Six field-mark callouts radiating outward: Stout hooked bill / Dark brown eye / Blue-purple iridescent gloss / Fan-shaped rounded tail / Thick stout legs / Entirely glossy black. Size measurement bar: 17–21 in / 43–53 cm / WS 33–39 in.

Card 2 β€” Flight View

Dorsal view (top): uniform glossy black with blue-purple sheen across back and wings, broad spread primary fingers at wingtips, tail fanned open in rounded shape. Ventral view (bottom): all-black underside. Callouts: Broad spread wingtip fingers / Fan-shaped rounded tail (not wedge) / Uniform glossy black β€” no wing patches / Steady rowing wingbeat / All-black underside. Inset silhouette comparison: Crow fan tail vs. Raven wedge tail.

Card 3 β€” Song / Call

Large bold mnemonic display "CAW! CAW! CAW!" β€” phonetic breakdown /kɑː/ Γ— 3–9 repeats. Minimal waveform-style spectrogram: 4–5 bar clusters decreasing in height left to right (amplitude decreases per caw). Three call-type pill badges: Contact Call / Alarm Call / Assembly Call. Frequency range ~500–800 Hz. Behavioral context: Alarm = rapid staccato | Contact = evenly spaced | Territorial = long series.

Card 4 β€” Look-alike Comparison

Three-panel gouache comparison grid:
  • American Crow (17–21 in): Fan tail, stout bill, CAW call
  • Common Raven (22–27 in): Wedge tail, curved culmen, heavy bill, CRONK call, visibly larger
  • Fish Crow (14–16 in): Slightly smaller/slender, UH-UH nasal call, coastal/SE range
Footer comparison table: Size | Bill | Tail shape | Call for each species.

Ornithological Notes

Morphology: 17–21 in (43–53 cm), wingspan 33–39 in, weight 11–22 oz. Entirely glossy iridescent black (blue-purple sheen in good light). Stout heavy straight bill with slightly hooked tip. Fan-shaped/rounded tail (key vs. Common Raven). Sexes identical in plumage; males slightly larger.
Flight: Long, broad wings; spread primary fingers at wingtips. Steady deep rowing wingbeats, less buoyant than raven. Tail fan-shaped in soaring. Direct purposeful flight.
Vocalizations: Primary call "CAW-CAW-CAW" β€” /kɑː/ repeated 2–9 times, amplitude decreasing per caw. ~500–800 Hz fundamental. Alarm: rapid staccato. Contact/flock: evenly spaced. Territorial: longer series. Assembly: when gathering at roost.
Key ID points vs. look-alikes:
  • vs. Common Raven: smaller, fan tail (not wedge), plain "CAW" (not deep "cronk"), less curved culmen
  • vs. Fish Crow: larger, clean "CAW" (Fish Crow says nasal "uh-uh"), slightly heavier bill
  • vs. European Starling: much larger, longer tail, no triangular wing shape, doesn't flock in murmurations

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