Walking through some of the parks here in Vienna, Austria, I couldn’t help but notice that the crows here are not at all the same as the crows in my part of the United States.
I am here in Vienna for work for a few days and have spent my free time walking through the parks, checking out the birds and plants. Most of the birds that I see are pigeons, but I was really struck by the large black-and-white crows that periodically fly onto the scene.
A little research on the internet reveals that these are Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix), and not the all-black American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) that I am used to seeing.
The only camera that I have with me is my trusty Canon A620 point-and-shoot. It is compact, but its 4x zoom makes it less than ideal for capturing birds. However, several crows were relatively cooperative yesterday and let me get close enough to get these shots.
I’ll probably post a few photos of buildings in the next day or two, but wanted to let folks know that I am still drawn to seek out nature, even in the midst of a big city.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Hello Mike,
The first time I saw one of these birds I wasn’t sure if it was a crow. In Kazan Russia they are everywhere. Crows in America are just that, but here I call them “Crows in a Tux”, the question I have are they as smart as American crows?
I’ll have to let you make that call. The crows in the US are not only smart, they know how to work together. I have observed them successfully ganging up on a hawk to get him to leave the area. One thing I did note is that the call of this crow didn’t seem as annoying as the American Crow. Of course, there was not a whole flock of them as is often the case with crows at home.
I have spent time in France, Germany, Austria, and Italy and I have never seen such a crow. It is really interesting. In my part of the world there are quite a few hawks and eagles and have seen crows fighting both in packs. I have always assumed they did not like to see their children eaten.
Thanks, Charlie. The range maps on the internet indicate this bird is found (at least part of the year) in much of northern, eastern, and southeastern Europe. As for fighting off hawks and eagles, I don’t know enough to hazard a guess about whether it is a matter of protecting the young or if it is an issue of territoriality.
I’ve been trying to get some good pictures of the crows here in Japan, but it has been rather trying… you’ll see someday on my blog, hopefully soon!
nice pictures of the tuxy-crow! lol
Thanks. It was pretty early in the morning when I got these shots. Either the crows were sleepy or else they were less skittish with fewer people around. Good luck getting crow shots.
less skittish.. hungry? lol
yea, getting some good shots has proven to be difficult!
every time i reach for my phone they think better and fly away!
That is a strange looking crow. I wonder what the small yellow flowers are that he’s dancing around in.
I like these crows a lot better. Can we trade?
I’d bring one back in my suitcase, but I am afraid the border folks wouldn’t let me through.
True!