# Hooded Crow (*Corvus cornix*)

The hooded crow (*Corvus cornix*) is a bird of the crow family, Corvidae, in the order Passeriformes.

> The hooded crow (Corvus cornix) is a two-tone crow with a grey body and a black head, throat, wings and tail. It replaces the all-black carrion crow in Ireland, northern Scotland, Scandinavia, eastern Europe and the Middle East, and the two interbreed where their ranges meet. It eats almost anything, from shellfish to eggs and carrion. It is widespread and not threatened.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Ireland, north-west Scotland, Scandinavia, eastern and south-eastern Europe to western Siberia and the Middle East.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hooded-crow/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Passeriformes
- **Family:** Corvidae
- **Genus:** Corvus

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Corvus cornix |
| Diet | Omnivore: invertebrates, shellfish, eggs, grain, carrion |
| Habitat | Coasts, farmland, moorland, towns and open woodland |
| Weight | Average about 430 g |
| Oldest ringed bird | 10 years (BTO) |
| Range | Ireland, northern Scotland, northern and eastern Europe to western Siberia and the Middle East |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (assessed with the carrion crow, IUCN Red List 2024) |

## A crow in two colours

Hooded crows have an ash-grey back and underparts, while the head, throat, wings and tail are black. They are the same size and shape as carrion crows and make the same croaking calls; only the plumage separates them in the field.

## Hooded or carrion?

Hooded and carrion crows meet along a narrow hybrid zone that runs through Scotland, Denmark, central Europe and Italy. Birds in the zone often show mixed grey and black plumage. The IOC World Bird List treats the two as separate species; BirdLife International assesses them together as one.

## A clever generalist

Hooded crows feed on almost anything: insects and worms in fields, crabs and shellfish on the shore, eggs and chicks of other birds, grain, food waste and carrion. Coastal birds drop shellfish onto rocks to break them open.

## Status

BirdLife International does not assess the hooded crow separately; its Red List entry for the carrion crow, Corvus corone, is Least Concern (2024) with a stable trend. Hooded crows are common across their range.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a hooded crow the same as a carrion crow?

They are very close relatives that interbreed where they meet. The IOC World Bird List treats them as separate species, while BirdLife International treats them as one.

### Where do hooded crows live?

In Ireland, the Isle of Man, north-west Scotland, Scandinavia, eastern and south-eastern Europe, and east to western Siberia and the Middle East.

### What do hooded crows eat?

Almost anything, including insects, worms, shellfish, eggs, nestlings, grain, scraps and carrion.

### How long do hooded crows live?

The oldest ringed hooded crow in the BTO's records lived 10 years.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Carrion Crow Corvus corone. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/carrion-crow-corvus-corone)
- [BTO BirdFacts: Hooded Crow. British Trust for Ornithology.](https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/hooded-crow)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Hooded Crow

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hooded-crow/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.