What is a crow? What is a Corvid?

  What is a crow?
          
A crow is  "any of several large glossy black birds of the genus Corvus, having a characteristic raucous call, especially C. brachyrhynchos of North America" (The  Free Dictionary).
          
It's important to note that not all crows are all black.  Even the all black ones aren't all black at times.  Sometimes these black birds will sport iridescent purples and blue-greens when the sun shines on them just right. 

What is a corvid?
          
A corvid is a member of the bird family Corvidae.   There are many species of birds in the family of Corvidae, including crows, ravens, magpies, and jays.  Members of Family Corvidae are very loud birds that are known for their intelligence, mischievous antics, and human-like behaviors.  Corvids are found throughout the world.  They are also found in literature books, as many legends have been written about them.  Although they are considered to be song birds (being members of the order Passeriformes), they are not known for their songs.  In fact, many corvids have annoying, grating voices.  
          
Depending on the particular species, corvidae colors might include blue, green, brown, white, and grey, and of course, black.  The size of these family members can be medium to large, reaching up to 28 inches long.  
           
Corvids are social animals and will provide assistant to others of their species.  The male will help its mate to build a nest.  He will also feed her while she keeps her eggs warm.  Crows will band together and take on predatory birds much bigger than them. They will even take on large birds that do not eat other birds, possibly because they look like predatory birds to them.
          
Corvids use tools;  some even make their own tools from the environment.  According to the BBC, "their total brain-to-body mass ratio is equal to that of great apes and cetaceans, and only slightly lower than in humans."
          
Members of Family Corvidae are found throughout the world.  This family has lots of interesting species.  Here are some of them: 

Crows

• American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos:  United States and Canada
• Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus:  United States- Eastern Costals States, Southeast.  Some are found inland.  Schenectady, New York:  rare  
• Carrion Crow, Corvus corone:   Europe and Asia
• New Caledonian Crow, Corvus moneduloides: New Caledonian- Grande Terre island and Maré island
• Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix:  Europe and Asia
• Cape Crow, Corvus capensis:  Africa
• House Crow, Corvus splendens:  Asia, Africa, Australasia (Oceania)
• Northwestern Crow, Corvus caurinus:  United States- western Washington State, lower Alaska and Canada-extreme West
• Pied Crow, Corvus albus:  Africa  
• Tamaulipas Crow, Corvus imparatus:  Limited Range in northeastern Mexico and extreme southern Texas.
• Sinaloa Crow, Corvus sinaloae:  Mexico 

Ravens

• Common Raven, Corvus corax:  United States- limited range in the east, wide range in the West.  Has been seen in Albany, New York.
• Fan-tailed Raven, Corvus rhipidurus:  Africa and Asia 
• Chihuahuan Raven, Corvus cryptoleucus:  United States- Limited range, including eastern Texas, eastern Oaklahoma, and southeastern New Mexico and Mexico
• White-necked Raven, Corvus albicollis:  Africa
• Forest Raven, Corvus tasmanicus:  Australia Commonwealth-  southeastern Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.

Rook, Corvus frugilegus:  Europe, including England; Africa, including Egypt; Asia, including Iran 

Eurasian Jackdaw, Corvus monedula:  Europe and Asia.  Some have been seen in the northeastern United States. 

Cloughs

• White-winged Chough, Corcorax melanorhamphos:  Australia- east and southeast mainland (excluding Queensland).
• Red-billed Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax: Europe- including England, Brittish Isles, Brittany, Cornwall; Wales; some parts of Scotland; Africa- in the north; Asia
• Alpine Cough, Pyrrhocorax graculus:  Africa; Asia; Europe

Magpies

• Black-billed Magpie, Pica hudsonia:  Western Canada and United States- western half, including Alaska.
• Yellow-billed Magpie, Pica nuttalli: United States- California

Nutcrackers

• Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana:  western United States; western Canada.
• Eurasian Nutcracker, Nucifraga caryocatactes:  Europe and Asia, from Scandinavia to Japan.

  
Jays

• Gray Jay, Perisoreus canadensis:  Canada- throughout; United States- some western states, but range is not spread all over the western half, Alaska.
• Pinyon Jay, Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus:  United States- in the west
• Florida Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens:   United States, only in Florida.
• Western Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma californica:  United States- western half, limited range in Texas; Mexico.
• Green Jay, Cyanocorax yncas: Mexico; limited winter range in Texas, US. 
• Steller's Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri;  Mexico; United States- western half, very bottom of Alaska; Canada- extreme west. 
• Brown Jay, Cyanocorax morio:  Mexico
• Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma wollweberi:  Mexico; United States:  Arizona, New Mexico, extreme southwest Texas
• Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata:  United State- throughout most of the country.  Absent in western coastal states and several several other western states.   Limited winter range in Idaho.

     Sources:
 Farlex, The Free Dictionary, Crow,
     Crow, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/crow
     Australasia, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Australasia

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 
      Corvid
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139000/Corvidae
     Eurasian Nutcracker
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/688818/Eurasian-nutcracker

BBC:  Nature, Wildlife, Red-billed Choughs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Red-billed_Chough

Birds of the World, Corvidae of the World
http://carolinabirds.org/HTML/WLD_Corvidae_Crow.htm

Birds on the Edge, Choughs:  Restoration of the Red-billed Chough in Jersey
http://www.birdsontheedge.org/projects/choughs/

TripAdvisor, Cornwall Vacations
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g186234-Cornwall_England-Vacations.html

Birds in Backyard
          White-winged Chough
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Corcorax-melanorhamphos
          Forest Raven:  Basic Information
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Corvus-tasmanicus

New World Encyclopedia
Rook (bird)
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Rook_(
bird)

Tamara Cohen, Mail Online, Rook with a Hook Proves Bird Brains are the Equal of Monkeys'
Updated May 26, 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1187429/Rook-hook-proves-bird-brains-equal-monkeys.html

Alsop, F.J., III.  (2001).  Birds of North America:  Eastern Region.  New York:  DK.

Tekiela, S. (2000).  Birds of New York:  Field Guide.  Cambridge, Minnesota:  Adventure.

Behavioural Ecology Research Group:  University of Oxford, Crow Natural History
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/tools/crow_natural_history.shtml

Cornell Lab of Orthinology, All About Birds, Bird Guide
     Jays, Magpies, and Crows:  (Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse_tax/20/
      Northwestern Crow
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northwestern_Crow/id
     Yellow-billed Magpie
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-billed_Magpie/id
     Mexican Jay
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mexican_Jay/id
     Pinyon Jay
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pinyon_Jay/id