Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow - Corvus corone

Alternative names
Crow
Description

All black plumage with a shiny black beak (compared with the grey base to the beak of the Rook).

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Found almost everywhere, from the centre of cities to upland moorlands, and from woodlands to seashore.

When to see it

All year round

Life History

The all-black Carrion Crow is one of the cleverest, most adaptable of our birds. It is often quite fearless, although it can be wary of man. They are fairly solitary, usually found alone or in pairs. The closely related Hooded Crow has recently been split as a separate species. Carrion Crows will come to gardens for food and although often cautious initially, they soon learn when it is safe, and will return repeatedly to take advantage of whatever is on offer.

UK Status

Common and widespread in Britain

VC55 Status

Common as a breeding bird in Leicestershire and Rutland

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records