General Information

American Crows are abundant in Ohio and throughout most of the United States. They can live in almost any type of habitat that has a sufficient amount of trees for roosting and open land for foraging. With the clearing of many of Ohio’s woodlands, crow populations have increased slightly in Ohio over the last 45 years. However, crow populations have been the one of the bird species most highly affected by the West Nile Virus. Researchers are still not sure why crows are so susceptible to this virus.

American Crows are very social animals and will live together in family groups for many years. They are monogamous and young often don’t breed until they are at least four years old. Young crows will stay with their parents for years after they are born, helping to raise their siblings each year. American Crows are year-long residents in Ohio, with some migrating slightly south for the winter.

Meet Our Crows

Two crows, Rook and Roxy, reside in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden (presented by KeyBank) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Life Span

Wild: 7-8 years
Captivity: up to 30 years

Fun Facts

• The diet of an American Crow is generally made up of small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and carrion, along with seeds, nuts and fruit.
• American Crows often consume the berries of poison ivy; they use these berries to crush food that they have stored in their crop.
• The American Crow and the Common Raven are often mistaken for one another. Their ranges overlap in certain regions but the American Crow is found throughout most of the United States and Canada, whereas the Common Raven is found mostly in the western United States and in the very northeast portion of North America and up into Canada. The American Crow is about two-thirds the size of the Common Raven and their call is a much higher pitched “caw” call, versus the raven's more low-pitched “croaking” call.
• Flocks of crows, called “murders,” will often times mob hawks, owls and other birds of prey. Mobbing a bird of prey alerts its presence to other animals and often causes a predator to move out of an area.