The American Crow is a large, intelligent all-black bird. Even its bill and legs are black. It is a bird that is common over most of the continent. This bird usually feeds on the ground and eats almost anything - typically earthworms, insects and other small animals, seeds, and fruit but also garbage, carrion and nestlings. In winter, American Crows congregate in large numbers to sleep in common roosts. These roosts can number from a few hundred up to two million crows. Some roosts have been in the same general area for over 100 years, Young American Crows do not breed until they are at least 2 years old. Most do not breed until they are 4 or more. In most cases, the young help their parents raise the young for a few years. Families may include up to 15 birds and contain young from five generations. The American Crow maintains a territory year round in which the entire family lives and forages together. During much of the year, however, individual crows leave the home territory to join large flocks at dumps and agricultural fields and to sleep in large roosts in winter. Despite its tendency to eat roadkill, the American Crow is not specialized to be a scavenger. Their bills are large but not very strong. They must wait for something else to open a carcass or for the carcass to decompose so that it is tender enough to eat. American Crows are crafty. Sometimes they will follow adult birds to find where their nests are hidden. At times they will steal food from other animals. They have been known to follow songbirds as they arrive after a long migration and capture the exhausted birds. Crows also catch fish, eat from outdoor dog dishes and take fruit from trees. American Crows have been known to make and use tools. One captive crow used a cup to carry water over to a bowl of dry mash. In another example, a crow shaped a stick and stuck it into a hole in a fence post in search of food. Crows will break pieces from pine cones to drop on predators near their nest. American Crows are highly adaptable and social birds. They work together, devise solutions to problems, recognize unusual sources of food and unite to defend against predators, a behavior known as "mobbing". The oldest record of a wild American Crow's life was 16 years. A captive crow that died in New York lived to be 59 years old.
