Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Silhouette: Peileppe · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCorvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
- GenusCorvus (Crows and Ravens)
- SpeciesCorvus ossifragus (Fish Crow)
About the Fish Crow
The fish crow (Corvus ossifragus) is a species of crow associated with wetland habitats in the eastern and southeastern United States. The fish crow was given its binomial name by the Scottish ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1812, in the fifth volume of his American Ornithology. The binomial is from Latin; Corvus means "raven", while ossifragus means "bone-breaker". It is derived from os or ossis, meaning "bone", and frangere, meaning "to break". The English-language common name fish crow also derives from Wilson, who ascribed the name to the crow's aquatic diet, as described to him by local fishermen. He distinguished the fish crow from John Bartram's great seaside crow by the former's diminutive size when compared to the American crow.
The fish crow's taxonomic relation to other species of the Corvus genus is still poorly understood, but DNA sequencing indicates that it is most closely related to the Hispaniolan palm crow (C. palmarum) and the Jamaican crow (C. jamaicensis), with the three species forming a Nearctic clade. The Sinaloa crow (C. sinaloae) and Tamaulipas crow (C. imparatus) bear morphological similarities to and were once considered conspecific... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Fish Crow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Fish Crow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fish Crow sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 532 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Fish Crow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Fish Crow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.