Black with a slight purplish gloss; smaller and more slender than the American crow. Length: 16-17 in (41-43 cm).
Calls resemble those of the American crow, but are somewhat hoarse.
Shorelines, tidewater areas, edges of coastal forest.
Resident from coastal southern Alaska to Puget Sound in Washington.
In tidal marshes red-winged blackbirds attack these crows, just as inland blackbirds harass the American crow. This mobbing behavior distracts the crows from their habitual plundering and prevents them from discovering nests; thus broods of marsh birds remain largely unmolested.
