The Ultimate Corvid Tournament

Collared crow (corvus torquatus): The collared crow is a mid-sized bird at 52-55cm/20-22in long. Is easily distinguished by its white coloration pattern that wraps around the back of its neck, shoulders, and chest, leaving a black strip down its front, hence its name. It is otherwise black. Its territory is mostly eastern China, though it does not live North of Beijing. It is a true omnivore and has been shown to adapt to urban environments. Its conservation status is “vulnerable” (“near threatened” in China as of 2018) due to reduced food accessibility caused by increased pesticide use. They are currently under observation of the World Wildlife Fund, though aside from this, large scale conservation efforts have been implemented.

Flores crow (corvus florensis): The Flores crow is a small, all-black bird that lives on the island of Flores, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Its conservation status is “endangered” due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, parasitism by cuckoos, and generally being regarded as pests by locals. Proposals for conservation measures have been made, but nothing has been enacted. The most recent information I could find is this.

Eastern carrion crow (corvus corone orientalis): The eastern carrion crow is distinguished from the western carrion crow by its size and range. It is a relatively large, all-black bird at 50cm/20in long and more graduated tail feathers. It is found across much of Asia, from Japan to Eastern Iran and Tibet. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Northwestern crow (corvus brachyrhynchos caurinus): This is a subspecies of the American crow and is generally smaller than other American crows (40-50cm/16-20in) and has a very distinct, hoarse caw. Their range is the Pacific temperate rain forests along the coast of the northwestern US and western Canada. They were once considered their own species and are now not only a subspecies but, as of 2020, are considered a regional variant of the western crow (c. b. hesperis), another subspecies of the American crow. Their conservation status is “least concern."

Common raven (corvus corax): The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Along with the thick-billed raven, it is the largest corvid at 63cm/25in long. They are all black with a greenish shine to their plumage and a large, distinct nasal feather. It has the largest range of the genus corvus, but it is classified as “holarctic,” meaning it is largely contained to the Northern Hemisphere. Their conservation status is “least concerned."

Pied crow (corvus albus): The pied crow is a larger bird at 46-52cm/18-20in long. It is all black except for its lower chest and neck which are white, giving it its name. It is the most wide-spread African species, spanning across nearly the entire continent south of the Sahara, including the island of Madagascar. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Little raven (corvus mellori): The little raven is an all-black bird with ranges in Southeast Australia. It is on average smaller than the Australian raven, ranging from 48-50cm/19-20in long. They are largely insectivorous, although like most in the genus corvus, they are likely opportunistic omnivores. Little ravens are also one of the species of corvids that have been recorded using tools. Their conservation status is “least concern."New Caledonian crow (corvus moneduloides): Sometimes called a “qua-qua” due to its distinctive sound, this bird is an all-black crow with feathers that sometimes shine green in certain lighting. It is roughly 40cm/16in long, and has a distinct beak as the tip of its lower beak angles up. It resides only on the islands of Grande Terre and Maré Island in New Caledonia. This crow is truly omnivorous and has been heavily documented on its tool use. They have even been observed to use meta- and compound tools, but they do not pass the mirror test. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Little raven (corvus mellori): The little raven is an all-black bird with ranges in Southeast Australia. It is on average smaller than the Australian raven, ranging from 48-50cm/19-20in long. They are largely insectivorous, although like most in the genus corvus, they are likely opportunistic omnivores. Little ravens are also one of the species of corvids that have been recorded using tools. Their conservation status is “least concern."New Caledonian crow (corvus moneduloides): Sometimes called a “qua-qua” due to its distinctive sound, this bird is an all-black crow with feathers that sometimes shine green in certain lighting. It is roughly 40cm/16in long, and has a distinct beak as the tip of its lower beak angles up. It resides only on the islands of Grande Terre and Maré Island in New Caledonia. This crow is truly omnivorous and has been heavily documented on its tool use. They have even been observed to use meta- and compound tools, but they do not pass the mirror test. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Common raven (corvus corax): The moment you’ve all been waiting for! Along with the thick-billed raven, it is the largest corvid at 63cm/25in long. They are all black with a greenish shine to their plumage and a large, distinct nasal feather. It has the largest range of the genus corvus, but it is classified as “holarctic,” meaning it is largely contained to the Northern Hemisphere. Their conservation status is “least concerned."

Pied crow (corvus albus): The pied crow is a larger bird at 46-52cm/18-20in long. It is all black except for its lower chest and neck which are white, giving it its name. It is the most wide-spread African species, spanning across nearly the entire continent south of the Sahara, including the island of Madagascar. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Eastern carrion crow (corvus corone orientalis): The eastern carrion crow is distinguished from the western carrion crow by its size and range. It is a relatively large, all-black bird at 50cm/20in long and more graduated tail feathers. It is found across much of Asia, from Japan to Eastern Iran and Tibet. Its conservation status is “least concern."

Northwestern crow (corvus brachyrhynchos caurinus): This is a subspecies of the American crow and is generally smaller than other American crows (40-50cm/16-20in) and has a very distinct, hoarse caw. Their range is the Pacific temperate rain forests along the coast of the northwestern US and western Canada. They were once considered their own species and are now not only a subspecies but, as of 2020, are considered a regional variant of the western crow (c. b. hesperis), another subspecies of the American crow. Their conservation status is “least concern."

Collared crow (corvus torquatus): The collared crow is a mid-sized bird at 52-55cm/20-22in long. Is easily distinguished by its white coloration pattern that wraps around the back of its neck, shoulders, and chest, leaving a black strip down its front, hence its name. It is otherwise black. Its territory is mostly eastern China, though it does not live North of Beijing. It is a true omnivore and has been shown to adapt to urban environments. Its conservation status is “vulnerable” (“near threatened” in China as of 2018) due to reduced food accessibility caused by increased pesticide use. They are currently under observation of the World Wildlife Fund, though aside from this, large scale conservation efforts have been implemented.

Flores crow (corvus florensis): The Flores crow is a small, all-black bird that lives on the island of Flores, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Its conservation status is “endangered” due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, parasitism by cuckoos, and generally being regarded as pests by locals. Proposals for conservation measures have been made, but nothing has been enacted. The most recent information I could find is this.