Hooded Crow

How to recognise it

• Black head, chin, upper breast, flight feathers and tail, the rest of the plumage ash-grey
• The grey plumage looks streaked because of the dark feather shafts
• Black bill, black legs and a ragged black breast patch that varies in size
• Males are slightly larger than females, young birds are darker with bluish to greyish eyes

Call and song

The call is a kraa that can hardly be told from that of the Carrion Crow. Crows chase birds of prey with loud screams.

Where and when

The Hooded Crow likes small woods, and also parks and gardens near people. It often lives in open country and feeds on fields and farmland. It is reported all year round and from all 21 counties.

Food and behaviour

The Hooded Crow is omnivorous and eats carrion, snails, insects, fruit, grain, small birds, small mammals, fish and birds' eggs, among other things. It drops mussels and crabs from a height to crack them, and often hides food to eat later. In the breeding season it lives in pairs, at other times of year often in flocks. Towards evening the local crows gather to roost in a grove or wood.