Light brown crow

[Steve Foss]

We've had a murder of 60 or so crows the last couple of days gobbling up the cracked corn we strew on the ground for sparrows and juncos.

One of the crows is a solid medium-light brown, about the same color as the dorsal portions of a broad-winged hawk. 

Interesting.

 

Steve Foss
See www.stevefossimages.com for guided photo excursions and full-service photography
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

[CAK]

I was curious, so . . .

About crows, the Cornell Lab site simply says:

"Color Pattern: American Crows are all black, even the legs and
bill. When crows molt, the old feathers can appear brownish or scaly
compared to the glossy new feathers."

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/id

The "Crow Busters" site (warning: dead birds ahead!) has photos of
lots of non-black crows, or at least what are claimed to be crows -
though perhaps not American Crows (Common Crows):

http://www.crowbusters.com/oddities.htm

While the other sites I looked at say crows are black, sometimes with
a little white on the wings, the National Geographic site has a
description that says:

"Identification Largest crow in North America, with uniformly black
plumage and fan-shaped tail. Bill is larger than other American
crows, but distinctly smaller than either raven. On rare occasions
individuals show white patches in wings. Juvenile: brownish cast to
feathers; grayish eye, and fleshy gape (quickly darkening after
fledging). Immature: tends to show worn brownish wings that contrast
with fresher black wing coverts."

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/american-crow/


Anyone ever read "Blacky Daw: The Story of a Pet Crow" by Adelaide
Palmer? I've got a copy that's copyright 1930. Inside the cover
it's stamped "Independent School District No. 12: Ely, Minnesota:
1944: Text Book Library No. 33" (Ely has long been District 696.)
Blacky Daw is ... black.

Caw,
Carl