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Description, Biology, Life Cycle, Damage, Common Names, Images
[R]Biology
- Sedentary in France, the carrion crow is present in cultivated or wooded regions. These birds often remain solitary but form small flocks in late summer in regions where food is abundant.
- Migrants from Germany or Benelux come to spend the winter in France. At this time of the year, carrion crows fly in small flocks or join large flocks of other corvids (rook
- Corvus frugilegus -, jackdaws).
- Pairs nest at the top of trees or in a crotch, at the borders of forests or on isolated trees. Nests are large but, unlike those of the magpie
(Pica pica), have no roof. Carrion crows and magpies live in the same habitats and are very aggressive to one another.
- Feeding habits: food, which varies greatly according to the regions, includes seeds, cereals, Leguminosae, fruits (pear, apple, grapes), insects, earthworms, eggs of breeding or wild birds, young birds, carrion and various corpses (hedgehogs run over on roads).
[R]Life Cycle
- Egg-laying begins on early April and 5 eggs are generally laid. Only one brood is reared each year but the bird may lay extra eggs to replace the losses.
[R]Damage
- Carrion crows feed on the seeds and plantlets of major crops (cereals, maize, pea) but damage is never important since these birds do not occur in large numbers. Poultry, game or ornamental birds (Anatidae) may also be attacked. The carrion crow is also an important predator of partridge nests.
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