Northwestern Crow
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| Corvus caurinus |
The range of this North American species is, as its name suggests, confined to the north-western coastal regions and offshore islands of southern Alaska, down through British Columbia to Washington State. Beaches and shorelines are the principle forage areas and it can often be seen in and around small towns and villages.
The food is very similar to the Fish Crow; it takes stranded fish, shellfish, crabs and mussels, and also searches refuse tips for suitable food items. It has been seen to take mussels into the air and drop them onto hard surfaces to break them open. Insects and other invertebrates are taken regularly as well as various fruits and berries.
The nest is sometimes built in association with a few other individuals in small, loose colonies in trees or sometimes large bushes. Very rarely, it will nest on cliffs in a recess or even on the ground in a remote area if overhung by a rock for shelter. It is a typical crow nest with 4-5 eggs usually laid.
The voice is very varied, and many types of call are frequently made, but the most common are usually described as a high pitched caw and the sound of a cork coming out of a bottle. A wok-wok-wok is given by a bird in flight if straggling behind the group, and various clicks and mechanical sounding rattles also seem frequently heard.
