What kinds of corvids can you find in the United States?
Corvids, which include crows and jays, are a family of birds known to be some of the SMARTEST birds that have ever been studied. For example, certain corvid species have demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests and the ability to use tools while foraging for food. Both of these skills are INCREDIBLY rare in the wild kingdom.
And believe it or not, their brain-to-body mass ratio is about the same as great apes and whales and is only slightly lower than humans!
Today, you will learn about the types of corvids found in the United States!
#1. American Crow
Identifying Characteristics:
- A large bird that is entirely black with an iridescent sheen.
- Long black bill, black legs, and black feet.
American Crows are adaptable birds and are common in the United States in almost every habitat. The places they can be found include woodlands, fields, rivers, marshes, farms, parks, landfills, golf courses, cemeteries, and neighborhoods.
American Crow Range Map
While they don’t come to feeders as often as other birds, a few foods attract them consistently. The crows in my backyard LOVE peanuts, whether in the shell or out. Whole-kernel corn and suet also seem to be consumed readily.
These corvids are one of the smartest birds in the United States.
For example, they can use tools, solve problems, and recognize human faces. It seems that crows even do things just for fun! Seriously, if you search the internet, it’s easy to find videos of them using round objects to sled down roofs.
American Crows have a large vocabulary. Listen for any number of caws, rattles, cackles, and clicks. The most common sound is a “caw-caw.” (Listen below)
#2. Blue Jay
Identifying Characteristics:
- Backs are covered in beautiful blue feathers with black bars throughout. The underparts are white.
- Their head is surrounded by a black necklace and has a blue crest on top.
- Males and females look the same.
Some people dislike Blue Jays, but I love their bold personalities. Their high intelligence makes these corvids interesting to observe, not to mention their plumage is stunning.
Blue Jay Range Map
Blue Jays typically visit bird feeders noisily, fitting as much food as possible in their throat sacks, then leaving quickly to eat or store their bounty. My favorite foods to use are whole peanuts, as Blue Jays are one of the only birds that can crack open the shells to access the inside! You can also use sunflower seeds and corn to attract them.
Jays are one of the noisier birds you will hear in the United States.
The most common vocalization that I hear is their alarm call, which sounds like it’s saying “jeer
These corvids are also excellent mimics and frequently imitate hawks. They are so good it’s hard to tell the difference between which bird is present. It’s thought that jays do this to deceive other birds into believing a hawk is present. Not a bad plan if you want to get a bird feeder all to yourself!
#3. Common Raven
Identifying Characteristics:
- Large bird that is completely black, including its eyes and bill.
- The bill is hefty and thick.
- In flight, look for their wedge-shaped tail.
Ravens are one of the SMARTEST birds in the United States!
For example, one study has shown that these corvids are drawn to gunshots during hunting season to investigate the carcass but ignore other loud noises that don’t lead to food, such as air horns or car alarms.
Their intelligence makes them efficient predators, and it’s common for ravens to team up to get food, such as stealing eggs from nests or attacking larger prey like newly born lambs.
Common Raven Range Map
Since they are so smart and adaptable, Common Ravens are found in many habitats in the United States. Look for them living near the edges of towns, especially in landfills that supply an endless amount of food. But ravens also have no problem living far away from civilization.
Common Ravens are impressive vocalists that make many different types of calls, from harsh grating calls to shrill alarm sounds. But the most common sound you will hear in the wild is a gurgling croak that rises in pitch.
Interestingly, they can mimic the sounds of many other bird species and even humans if raised in captivity.
#4. Black-billed Magpie
Identifying Characteristics:
- A large black and white bird with a long tail.
- In the right light, you can see beautiful blue iridescent feathers on the wings and tail.
It’s hard to miss these bold corvids in the western United States!
Black-billed Magpies demand your attention. They are very social, noisy, and comfortable living amongst people and are commonly seen in smaller towns. Naturally, they live in open grasslands and plains and tend to avoid dense forests.
Black-billed Magpie Range Map
Being part of the Corvid family, Black-billed Magpies are incredibly intelligent. One interesting behavior is that they seem to have funerals when they discover a deceased magpie. Individual birds will begin calling loudly to attract more magpies, eventually having as many as 40 birds gathered for 10-15 minutes before flying away silently.
#5. Steller’s Jay
Identifying Characteristics:
- Larger bird with a black head, rounded wings, and a long tail.
- A tall black crest on the crown of the head helps identify them.
- Both sexes are half black and half blue on their wings, belly, and tail.
You will find this bold corvid in evergreen forests in the western United States. Steller’s Jays often visit parks, campgrounds, and picnic areas.
Steller’s Jay Range Map
This jay species is very intelligent, bold, and noisy. You can attract them to your feeders by providing peanuts, larger seeds, and suet.
Steller’s Jays are often nest robbers. They have even been known to attack or kill small adult birds like nuthatches or juncos.
Males and sometimes females have calls that sound like “shaack, shaack, shaack,” shooka, shooka.” Listen below.
#6. Canada Jay / Gray Jay
Identifying Characteristics:
- Paler grey on the belly. Darker gray on the backs.
- White cheeks, throat, and forehead.
- Short beak and a long tail.
It’s hard to describe a Canada Jay other than “cute.” These grey birds are smart and adapt easily to their surroundings, which allows them to consume almost anything.
Seriously, they have been observed eating the following weird things: ticks off the back of a moose, baby bats, amphibians, and baby birds, in addition to more normal foods like invertebrates, seeds, and berries.
Canada Jay Range Map
Another fascinating fact about this corvid is that they raise their babies during late winter! And because they live so far north in the boreal forests, their chicks grow up in almost complete darkness. Interestingly, they don’t attempt to raise a second brood of babies in May or June, which is when most other species’ nest and conditions seem more favorable.
So do you call this bird a Canada Jay or a Gray Jay?
Well, the correct name is now Canada Jay, as the name was changed in 2018 by the American Ornithological Society from the Gray Jay. But old habits die hard, and many birders in the United States still refer to this bold corvid as a Gray Jay.
#7. Clark’s Nutcracker
Identifying Characteristics:
- Medium-sized grey bird with a long, dagger-like black bill and black wings.
- While in flight, you can see bright white tail feathers, along with white feathers at the end of their wings.
It’s fairly easy to spot one of these corvids in the western United States as long as you head to the correct habitat. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as Clark’s Nutcrackers live in coniferous forests in the mountains!
Their long beak is used to rip into pinecones to remove the seeds, which are mostly taken away to store and consume later. It’s estimated that Clark’s Nutcrackers stash away thousands of seeds each summer, which provides them food through winter. Amazingly, these intelligent birds remember where most pine seeds are hidden!
Clark’s Nutcracker Range Map
In fact, they hide so much food they are able to breed as early as January or February and rely ONLY on their cached food supply. As you can imagine, it is incredibly cold high up in the mountains during this time of year, so nothing is growing yet.
#8. California Scrub-Jay
Identifying Characteristics:
- Medium-sized crestless jay.
- Both sexes have blue heads, wings, and tails.
- Look for a white throat outlined with a blue necklace.
These corvids are found in the western United States in scrubland and oak woodlands.
California Scrub-Jay Range Map
California Scrub-Jays primarily eat grains, fruits, frogs, lizards, and, unfortunately, eggs and young of other birds.
You also might see them standing on the backs of Mule Deer eating ticks! The deer seem to appreciate the help, as they often stand still and hold up their ears to let the birds do their work. 🙂
You can attract California Scrub-Jays to your feeders with sunflower seeds and peanuts. If you are lucky and have them come for a quick meal, you will enjoy watching them because they are very vocal and playful birds.
#9. Pinyon Jay
- Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Medium-sized jay with a long sharp bill. Looks sort of like a blue crow.
- Both sexes are several shades of blue and are duller on the belly.
Pinyon Jays are a very noisy corvid in the western United States!
These crestless jays are found in pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush, and pine trees in mountainous regions. This omnivorous species primarily eats pinyon-pine seeds but occasionally eats small animals, snakes, and lizards.
Pinyon Jay Range Map
Pinyon Jays can form large flocks, up to 500 birds that stay together while breeding and foraging year-round. These intelligent birds will come to your bird feeders for a short visit to enjoy some cracked corn, peanuts, sunflower seeds, or suet.
Pinyon Jays make an assortment of calls. Some are incredibly crow-like. Listen below.
#10. Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Identifying Characteristics:
- Long bird with a long tail and stout bill.
- Both sexes are light blue and gray on top, have a grayish belly, and a white throat.
You will find these mostly blue corvids in Utah in woodlands of pine and juniper or dry shrublands.
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays are known to stand on the backs of mule deer. They do this to help the mule deer by picking off ticks and parasites and eating them. The mule deer don’t mind and will stand still and put their ears up to assist in their efforts.
Woodhouse Scrub-Jay Range Map
To attract this species to your backyard feeders, you must provide sunflower seeds and peanuts. And if you have thick shrubbery or small trees, you may even be lucky enough to have a pair nest in your yard!
Males and females both sing light, pleasant songs lasting up to five minutes. Listen below.
#11. Fish Crow
Identifying Characteristics:
- Completely black, including legs, bill, and eyes.
- Slightly smaller than American Crow.
It can be hard to tell Fish Crows apart from American Crows in the eastern United States.
These two corvids look almost identical! And to make things even more confusing, these two species sometimes spend time together in mixed flocks. 🙂
Fish Crow Range Map
But luckily, once you learn how to identify the calls that Fish Crows make, it can be easy to make a proper identification. Fish Crows make a short, nasally sound that sounds like someone is saying “cah” or “uh.” This noise is quite different from an American Crow’s “caw-caw.” LISTEN BELOW!
Like other corvids, Fish Crows are social, intelligent, and adapt well to life around people. The best places to find them are near bodies of water.
Despite their name, they eat almost anything they can find, including eggs, nestlings, fruit, grains, carrion, marine invertebrates, trash, and human food.
#12. Yellow-billed Magpie
Identifying Characteristics:
- As the name suggests, a bright yellow bill.
- A large black and white bird with a long tail.
- In the right light, you can see beautiful blue iridescent feathers on the wings and tail.
This bold and boisterous corvid ONLY lives in California!
Even though Yellow-billed Magpies look similar to Black-billed Magpies, they are very easy to identify because of their bright yellow beak.
The best places to find Yellow-billed Magpies are in the open oak woodlands of the Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and the Coast Ranges.
Yellow-billed Magpie Range Map
And if you find one of these birds, you will probably find many more. This is because they are incredibly social, even during the breeding season, when dozens of pairs often nest close to each other.
#13. Florida Scrub-Jay
Interestingly, Florida Scrub-Jays are the ONLY bird that lives just in Florida.
Look for these corvids in scattered populations around the state in habitats with low-growing (less than 6.5 feet) oak trees.
Unfortunately, since they tend to never leave areas without these scrub oaks, the remaining Florida Scrub-Jays are becoming more and more isolated as Florida continues to grow and develop. This fragmentation has led to them being listed as Threatened on the Endangered Species List.
Florida Scrub-Jays are very social and rely upon strong family bonds. For example, hatchlings from previous years will stick around to help their parents raise other broods until they are old enough and ready to find a territory of their own. The extra helpers will assist in watching out for hawks or snakes, with the entire family mobbing the predator to drive them away.
#14. Green Jay
In the United States, you can only see Green Jays in southern Texas, where their range spreads northward from Mexico. These brightly colored corvids are typically seen traveling together in family flocks as they search for food.
Green Jay Range Map
Green Jays are among the only birds in North America known to use tools! To help them locate insects to eat, they will grab sticks to pry off loose bark.
These loud birds have a large repertoire of sounds and calls. The most common noise you will probably hear is a loud “cheh” contact call that is given while foraging near other birds. But don’t be surprised when you hear them giving a variety of other buzzes, peeps, screams, rattles, and clicks.
In addition, Green Jays are excellent mimics and routinely imitate hawk sounds to scare away other birds from a food source.
#15. Mexican Jay
Mexican Jays primarily live in Mexico, but their range spreads northward into the southwest United States. These corvids prefer open forests with many oak trees, mostly because they love eating acorns!
In fact, one study estimated that a single bird could store up to 7,000 acorns in a single year! And to help them consume this many, Mexican Jays have even evolved a specialized lower jaw that helps them absorb the impact of stabbing so many acorns.
Mexican Jay Range Map
Mexican Jays live in close family groups of 5 – 25 birds. Individuals rarely leave the family they were born into, potentially staying in the same territory and group their whole lives. All of the birds share responsibilities, such as feeding the babies and watching out for predators.
#16. Chihuahuan Raven
The best place to find these black corvids in the western United States is in open, hot, dry areas. These habitats are less appealing for American Crows and Common Ravens but perfect for the Chihuahuan Raven!
Chihuahuan Raven Range Map
They are sometimes called “White-necked Ravens” due to the fact that there are white feathers at the base of their neck. However, you must look closely because these white feathers are difficult to see. You must often wait for the wind to perfectly blow their feathers to get the chance to see them.
Chihuahuan Ravens have a “caw” that sounds similar to an American Crow but is lower in pitch and slightly longer.
Which of these corvids have you seen before in the United States?
Leave a comment below!
To learn more about birds in the United States, check out my other guides!
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