[CT Birds] Fish Crows

[Greg Hanisek]

The young Common Crow problem can cause some confusion in summer. The key, 
like anything else in birding, is experience. Once you've heard enough known 
Fish Crows, they've got a distinctive nasal tone that's different from the 
begging quality I think I hear in young Common Crows. And in fact young 
Common Crows often are begging when they're heard.

Probably the most unmistakable Fish Crow call, and one they make quite 
frequently, is the double ahh-ahh note. To imitate it you really have to use 
your nose. Sometimes while flying over they'll just give a short, single ahh 
of the same nasal quality. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to hear one 
near the Shepaug in Washington given the widespread increase.

BTW, IDing individual birds by sight is usually guess work at best, but when 
both species are together, some Fish Crows can at times be picked out by 
size. The McDonald's dumpster on Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury is a lovely 
spot for comparative viewing :)

Greg Hanisek
Waterbury



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roy Harvey" <rmharvey at snet.net>
To: <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Fish Crows


> --- Sharon Abner <sharonorganist at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> For the last several years in the summer, I've heard what sounded
>> to me like a fish crow on the green in Washington, CT.  Is this
>> possible?  Or can an American crow be very nasal?  Maybe one of the
>> birders from up here will know what I've heard.
>
> Young American Crows can sound very much like Fish Crows, and the
> summer is when that is a problem.  I always hesitate to identify Fish
> Cross during the summer, though of course there are just as many (or
> few) of them about at that season.
>
> Roy Harvey
> Beacon Falls, CT
>
> _______________________________________________
> This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) 
> for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
> For subscription information visit 
> http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org
>
>