Baby Crows: All You Need to Know (with Pictures)

crow from Corvus Genus Corvidae family, are very intelligent birds. Not only are crows good at high-level problem-solving tasks, but they’re even capable of abstract thinking, possibly even thinking in a similar way to us.

What about the little crow? The baby crow is a relatively rare sight, and there are good reasons why many people never see it.

This article dives into everything you need to know about baby crows, with plenty of photos of the elusive baby crow along the way!

What does the little crow look like?

Chicks of most crow species hatch covered in fluffy, downy feathers.

Some crow chicks are nearly naked, with large, pink beaks. Another distinguishing feature of baby crows is their blue eyes, which makes baby crows and juveniles easy to spot among adults.

Newly hatched crow chicks in the nest being fed by one of their parents

How big is the little crow?

The hatchlings are only a few centimeters long, but grow rapidly, reaching the size of an adult crow in a month or so.

In the corvidae, species that actually include “crow” in their common names are very similar in size, for example, the smallest crow is 42 to 48 cm long, while the largest crow is only about 55 cm at most.

While greater crows are also in the same genus as ravens, they don’t include the name “crow” in their common name – but they’re still crows in a way – but that’s another discussion!

How much does the crow weigh?

A baby crow weighs about 30 grams (1 ounce). Many hatch naked and essentially featherless, but feathers begin to grow after a day or two.

A study of American crows found that most crows weighed around 300g to 350g after 30 days, when the chicks started to leave the nest.

A young crow in the grass

What do juvenile crows look like?

Juvenile crows often appear shaggy or furry, while adults tend to have smoother plumage. This is usually the most obvious way of distinguishing juvenile crows from adults.

Juvenile crows typically have shorter and lighter beaks than adult crows. One distinctive feature of some juvenile crows is their blue eyes, but this is not a reliable way of distinguishing juveniles from adults, as it only applies to certain species, such as American crows and Torres crows.

Juvenile crows are also often observed to be very playful, playing with each other, shouting loudly, and jumping around in a very busy manner.

A juvenile American Crow perched on a branch

what’s the name of the little crow

Little crows are called chicks. Once they hatch, they are called fledglings, fledglings when they are inside the nest, and fledglings when they leave the nest.

Young crows around one year old are sometimes called yearlings.

Why have you never seen the little crow?

Like most birds, crows try to keep their nests hidden, and they are usually located relatively high up in the tree canopy. Crow chicks also grow quickly, reaching about 80 percent of their adult body weight by the time they emerge. When you see them, they probably look more like juveniles than chicks.

Once its wings are fully fledged, you may be able to see a baby crow, but this time may only last a few weeks, and the bird will try to keep it safe within the reach of its parents until it is ready to fly more confidently.

If you do see a baby crow, it’s likely somewhere on the floor, usually hidden by leaves. Crow chicks have been known to roam around the nest for a day or two before flying confidently back to their treetop perches. If you find a crow on the ground and their parents are still watching them, chances are they aren’t orphans.

pair of juvenile crows

What do crow eggs look like?

Raven eggs are very distinctive and are usually olive or blue-green in color with dark brown spots concentrated at the larger end.

What do little crows eat?

Young crows are usually fed by the father and helpers, while the mother crow stays with her cubs.

Yes, some crow families actually have helpers, we’ll be taking a closer look at that soon!

In a nutshell, though, juvenile crows were fed soft food, which was usually regurgitated by parents – or helpers – for about two weeks before being fed more solid food.

Crow feeding chicks in nest

Do both parents feed baby crows?

Crow parents are highly cooperative throughout the brooding process. The female usually takes care of the chicks, especially during the first week, and spends most of the day in the nest keeping the chicks warm until about two weeks have passed.

While some crows are fairly solitary in long-term pairing relationships, others engage in cooperative breeding. More solitary crows, such as the hooded corvus, have also been observed to participate in cooperative breeding.

What is Cooperative Breeding in Crows?

Cooperative breeding sometimes involves crows sharing the same nest, defending territory as a group, and collectively helping chicks in the rear. Some crow species have “helpers,” as do only a handful of other birds, including nuthatches and kingfishers.

Co-breeding is very rare—one study showed that only 3.2 percent of bird species have the trait of co-breeding.

One of the best documented cooperative breeders is the American crow, which maintains sizable family units that include many helpers. Helpers are usually children of their parents from previous seasons, or are related to them in some way, but there is also evidence that helpers come from outside the family unit. These helpers assist with everything from nest building to feeding the chicks, and may even assist the female in hatching her young.

The American Crow is one of the most well documented cooperative breeders

An example of cooperative breeding observed in American crows is how several helpers can provide a female with more twigs than she can use to build her nest, resulting in a mess!

The evolutionary science behind cooperative breeding is largely unknown, with some suggesting that the intelligence of corvids allows crows and other corvids to build close and cooperative breeding in a manner similar to other highly intelligent animals such as apes, humans and dolphins. lasting connection. These bonds help foster growth and survival, while also enriching life through social contact.

How long does it take for crow eggs to hatch?

For most crow species, the incubation period is quite short, only 18 to 21 days. For the vast majority of this time, the female will remain on the eggs while the father or helper brings her food.

How many eggs did the crow lay?

There are some differences between the clutch sizes of different Ravens. Carrion crows typically lay 4 to 6 eggs, while American crows and Hooded crows lay 3 to 5 eggs. New Caledonian crows lay an average of 2 to 3 eggs.

If the first brood is lost early in the breeding season, it is possible for most crows to have another brood.

A crow’s lair with 4 light blue eggs inside

when do crows lay eggs

Since crows are found all over the world, from North America to Australia and even New Caledonia, the breeding season of crows varies. For most crows, the breeding season begins around March, but for the Australian Torres crow, the breeding season begins around August and runs through February.

When can the little crow fly?

After about a month, young crows tend to fly, but will not attempt flight for the next ten days or so, during which time they will roost somewhere close to the nest.

Young carrion crows begging for food from their parents

How long does the baby crow stay in the nest?

Young crows tend to leave the nest temporarily before actually taking flight, usually only staying in the nest for about 20 to 30 days. Chicks move to a nearby perch or the ground before they are competent to fly.

Once a crow juvenile is fully fledged, it is far from independent of its parents and will stay with them for weeks, and possibly months or years.

Parental care usually extends for another 2 to 3 months after eclosion, but unlike many other bird species, crow families often stick together for long periods of time.

How long does the little crow stay on the ground?

If you happen to see a baby crow (or other crows, for that matter), they’re probably sitting on the ground rather than perched on a branch.

This of course doesn’t mean the bird is orphaned by the parents – the parents are likely nearby.

Once fully fledged, young crows typically wander the ground for a day or two before flying around to treetop roosts.

crow on the grass

Do crows reuse nests?

Crow nests rarely survive a year, especially considering the crows themselves only use the nest for about 20 days or so.

Once the chicks have left the nest and grown their feathers, the nest has served its purpose. Crows typically return to the same breeding grounds year after year, likely returning to the vicinity of their original nesting grounds.

How long does the little crow stay with its parents?

Crows grow rapidly, taking only about 30 days to fly out of the nest, but they stay with their parents for months and, in some species, never actually leave the family unit.

American Crows, Carrion Crows, and Hooded Crows often maintain long-term family bonds. In one study, 1 in 5 adult crows stayed with their parents for only three years, and even those that left often returned.