Little Crow or Raven, Australia (1 Viewer)

[Wiganlad]

Any chance this is a Little Crow rather than a young Raven, in King's Park Perth, WA last month? Sadly, no call to go on.

 

[mjh73]

Hackles are relatively short, I reckon that's good for immature Little Crow

 

[ZootheraMike]

mjh73 is right, the hackles do look short, but I wonder whether it might not be an immature Australian Raven with undeveloped hackles and dark iris. Aussie Ravens are the common corvid around Perth and, personally, I believe this bird looks good for an immature of that species.

 

[Wiganlad]

Thank you both....anyone else fancy a suggestion to help clarify it?

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Was it alone or in a group, and what was the habitat? I could be wrong, but from the little I've read I would expect Little Crows to turn up in flocks in open areas and maybe not quite at that time of year if conditions force them to have to hit the Perth area. Agree you should very much consider the common possibility!

Hopefully eg John from WA will chime in, as he'll know how likely Little Crow is at that time of year in King's Park, which from memory is pretty wooded and hilly.

 

[Wiganlad]

It was alone on open lawn near war memorial in Kings Park. I, too, would hope that John from WA would be able to add his views.

 

[John_WA]

I strongly suspect it's a young Australian Raven. It's a young bird (dark eye) so the hackles are going to be fairly short in any species (and note that the WA race of Aus Raven has shorter hackles than eastern birds as well), and it looks too bulky for a Little Crow

Little Crow would be very unusual in Perth, I never had a confirmed one myself and don't know of any confirmed records since I've been birding, and only a couple of solid claims. Apparently they used to be more common when they'd come in to the old abattoir in the eastern suburbs, but this shut down in the 80s I think

Hackles are relatively short, I reckon that's good for immature Little Crow

 

[mjh73]

Hahaha, thanks for the extra thoughts from a local John - us east coast birders should butt out of WA IDs, sorry!