Pied Crow Corvus albus Scientific name definitions

45 cm; 400–700 g. Large corvid with tail of moderate length and distinctly graduated towards tip, throat feathers slightly elongated and mostly pointed. Has head, neck and upper chest black, glossed blue and purple, contrasting with white collar on upper mantle which broadens on underparts to extend over breast and foreflanks, and just onto axillaries; rest of upperparts (lower mantle to uppertail-coverts) and underparts (rear flanks, tibia and ventral area) dull, less glossy, black; upperwing and tail black, glossed with blue and purple; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Sexes similar. Juvenile has black of head, wings and tail less glossed than adult, and feathers of head and undertail-coverts shorter and "looser", also demarcation between white and black areas of body less clear-cut owing to grey feather tips. Hybrids with C. edithae exhibit variety of grey shadings, or speckled breast and collar areas on body.

• Pied x Somali Crow (hybrid) Corvus albus x edithae

Almost the whole of sub-Saharan Africa S from c. 17° N in Mauritania and Mali, C Chad and 20° N on Red Sea coast of Sudan (absent from extensive tracts of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, from the most arid regions of Namibia, W Botswana and Kalahari Basin of NW South Africa, and from higher elevations of Lesotho); present on islands of Bioko, Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia (off Tanzania), and Comoro Is, Aldabra, Glorieuses Is and Madagascar; recently discovered breeding in Western Sahara (1 Batty, C. (2010). Pied Crows in Western Sahara, Morocco. Dutch Birding 32(5): 329–332. Close ); also Europa I, where possibly introduced (2 Dumeau, B., J. Hivert, and L. D. B. Gigord (2014). L’avifaune de l’île d’Europa, la plus grande des Îles Éparses, entre Afrique et Madagascar. Ornithos 21(1):14–37. (In French.) Close ).

Open country, including grasslands, open woodlands, forest clearings, savanna, riverbanks and lakeshores. Freely about human habitation, foraging around farmsteads, villages and even towns and cities. Habitually visits rubbish dumps and slaughterhouses. Avoids dense forest, deserts and highly mountainous regions. From sea-level upwards, to 3700 m in Ethiopia, but most abundant at lower elevations.

Mainly sedentary. In wet years, N populations spread N into Saharan oases, some reaching 18° N (as at Nouakchott, in Mauritania) and can be common in C Chad, some reaching N Chad. In NW Central African Republic and W Sudan, seems to be present in good numbers only during Oct–May dry season, most moving out completely to breed. In Gambia, post-breeding movement from interior to coastal districts after start of rains. Situation farther S in Africa less clear, but adults seem to be sedentary, and younger birds most likely to move into new areas, but only one ringing recovery of individual more than 20 km from where ringed, and that had moved 47 km in a little over nine years. Vagrants recorded in S Algeria and once in S Libya. Discovered breeding in Western Sahara, c. 150 km NE of Dakhla, in 2010 (3 Batty, C. (2010). Pied Crows in Western Sahara, Morocco. Dutch Birding. 32: 329–332. Close ). Other records in the W Palearctic from Britain, the Netherlands, S Spain and the Canary Is (3 Batty, C. (2010). Pied Crows in Western Sahara, Morocco. Dutch Birding. 32: 329–332. Close ), or in the state of São Paulo in E Brazil (4 Silva e Silva, R. and Olmos, F. (2007). Adendas e registros significativos para a avifauna dos manguezais de Santos e Cubatão, SP. [New and important records from the mangroves of Santos and Cubatão, SP.] Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 15(4): 551–560. (In Portuguese with English summary.). Close , 5 Lima, B. and Kamada, B. (2009). Registros de corvo-bicolor Corvus albus (Passerriformes: Corvidae) em territorio brasileiro. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 150: 10–11. In Portuguese. Close ), are either believed to relate to escapes from captivity, or are suspected to have arrived by ship.

Omnivorous. Takes all manner of invertebrates , including spiders (Araneae), ticks (Ixodoidea), beetles (Coleoptera), termites (Isoptera), grasshoppers and locusts (Orthoptera), and molluscs. Many small vertebrates also eaten, e.g. frogs, lizards, rodents, fish and small birds. Even capable of catching locusts, small birds and bats in flight, and reported as killing or injuring sickly newborn lambs. Familiar sight by roadside, where it patrols for kills; scavenges at rubbish bins and rubbish dumps , often with Black Kites (Milvus migrans) and Marabous (Leptoptilos crumenifer). Recorded as favouring vegetable items in S of range, where it takes various seeds, roots and fruits; digs up sown grain, and breaks down maize plants by perching on them, then stripping kernels from cob when on ground. Other crop plants taken include oil palm nuts (Elaeis guineensis), cassava, dates, potatoes, rice and sorghum. Also eats fleshy part of coconuts and groundnuts. Raids birds nests, entering heronries to take nestlings and eggs; recorded as taking whole nest of a small bird in bill and flying away to enjoy its contents on a more convenient perch. Follows bush fires to take escaping insects; accompanies cattle and game animals, taking ectoparasites from their backs or from ground, and also follows the plough. Also reported as dropping stones from a height to break shells of Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggs. Said to hide food items in sand under coconut palms. Forages in pairs and small groups; often in larger flocks at abundant food; roosts communally in stands of large trees, often in parks in cities and towns, where roosts can attract many hundreds or even a few thousand individuals.

Typical call a deep, guttural "kraaak", similar to those of both C. frugilegus and C. corax, varying in pitch, sometimes a deeper "rrawrr" or shorter, upslurred "krow" or rather flat "raa", the last often prolonged into almost cat-like "raaaaeow". Also gives dry double rattle, the first part of which often lower in pitch, "torrrrrrh-tarrrrrrh". Other calls include muffled nasal "klaang", hollow "klok-klok", throaty "glupp" and flat "ack-ack". Many of these calls very similar to those of C. edithae and may be accompanied by head-bobbing and tail movements.

Season varies with onset of local rains: eggs reported Aug–Oct in Mauritania and Mali, Feb–Apr in Gambia, Apr–May in Chad, May–Jul in Burkina Faso, Jul–Aug in Niger, Mar–Jul in Nigeria, Apr–May in Ghana, Apr–Jun in Togo, Feb–Mar and Dec in Cameroon, Jan–Jul, Sept and Dec in Sudan, Feb–Apr in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Jan in Kenya, Jan–Feb and May–Oct in Uganda, throughout year in various parts of Tanzania, Jul–Feb in DRCongo, Oct in Gabon and PRCongo, May and Aug–Oct in Zambia, Jun and Sept–Nov in Malawi, Aug–Dec in Zimbabwe, Sept–Nov in Botswana, Sept–Dec in Namibia, Sept in Lesotho, Jul–Jan (mostly Sept–Oct) in various parts of South Africa, and Aug–Dec (mostly Oct) in Madagascar. Monogamous, with probably lifelong pair-bond. Solitary nester. Nest built by both sexes, taking 11–12 days, a bulky structure of sticks, roots and sometimes wire, with deep cup lined with mud, dung, wool, string and grasses, usually in high tree fork, on telephone pole, pylon, artesian windmill or even tall building, rarely on cliff ledge; often same site used but freshly built nest constructed each year. Clutch 1–7 eggs, mostly 4 or 5; incubation by both sexes, female doing 75–80% of work and all of sitting overnight, period 18–19 days; chicks fed by both sexes, male alone feeds first-hatched chick for first few days while female incubates remaining eggs, nestling period 35–45 days. Nest occasionally parasitized by Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common and widespread, even locally abundant in low-lying, lusher parts of Africa. Common and widespread in lower-lying parts of Madagascar, and more thinly distributed on High Plateau. Distinctly localized or absent in mountainous or arid semi-desert and desert regions. In South Africa considered a minor pest, 17% of farms having a nest-destruction policy, and poison also used for controlling numbers of this species. On Kenyan coast, particularly about Mombassa, increasing population of C. splendens seems to be pushing out this corvid, which is harassed by mobbing behaviour of the smaller species. Its tolerance of humans and its omnivorous diet, however, should ensure a successful future for this crow.