Alternative names: Indian Crow; Indian House Crow; Grey-necked Crow; Colombo Crow
Photo by Alok Tewari
Delhi, India, 12 May 2011
- Corvus splendens
Identification
40 - 43cm (15¾-17 in). A small and slim-bodied crow.
- Prominent, long black bill, slightly arched and enhanced by short forecrown
- Plumage blackish-slate, blacker and glosser on face, forecrown, chin and throat
- Mantle, side of neck and side of breast medium-grey, shading into blackish-grey on back and belly. Much paler grey in zugmayeri, with almost no contrast to black in insolens
- Dark brown iris
- Black legs
Sexes similar. Juveniles are duller than adults.
Similar species
The subspecies insolens may be confused with Large-billed Crow. Note the shape of the head and the size.
Distribution
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India, Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and coastal southern Iran. Spreads to Eastern Africa (as blind passengers on ships) and the Middle East.
Abundant in most of its range.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species[1] consisting of 5 subspecies:
- C. s. zugmayeri found from southeast Iran to Pakistan, northwest and northcentral India
- C. s. splendens in most of the Indian Peninsula, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, ship-assisted immigrant to western Australia
- C. s. maldevicus in the Maldives
- C. s. protegatus in southwest India and Sri Lanka
- C. s. insolens in extreme south China (Tibet and Yunnan) and Burma
Introduced populations in many cities and harbours around the Indian Ocean and beyond. Occurs in the Western Palearctic in Egypt and Israel. Sometimes in European ports like Rotterdam.
Habitat
In a variety of tropical and subtropical habitats, usually near cities, towns or villages.
Behaviour
Usually seen in groups, sometimes big flocks. Has little fear of man but is always alert and constantly wary.
Diet
Diet includes human scraps, small reptiles and other animals such as insects and other small invertebrates, eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits.
Does great damage to crops and known to kill newborn domestic animals.
Breeding
Breeding season varies in its range. It lays 3-6 eggs in a typical stick nest, and occasionally there are several nests in the same tree. In South Asia they are parasitized by the Asian Koel.
Movements
A resident species with some short-distance movements.
Vocalisation
Recording by Alok Tewari
Dist. Gurgaon, Haryana, India, Feb-2016
Call given by two birds one calling softly and other loudly.
Gallery
Click images to see larger version
By rony_roshtov
Eilat, Israel, 7 October 2005
Immature
By Alok Tewari
Delhi, India, 11 Aug 2015
Adult feeding parasitic Asian Koel immature
By Alok Tewari
Delhi, India, 27 Aug 2010
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) House Crow. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/House_Crow
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
