Corvus brachyrhynchos
Order Passeriformes
Family Corvidae
Adult.— Entire bird black, with blue or purplish reflections when seen in strong light.
Nest, of sticks, in tall trees.
Eggs, generally bluish-green, marked with brown.
The Crow is a permanent resident of the warmer portions of New York and New England, but a summer resident of that portion only of the interior where the winter is not severe. Great numbers move to the coast at this season, and find food on the marshes and beaches. Each evening multitudes assemble and fly off to certain roosts several miles away; in the morning they return and scatter over the feeding-ground. In March long trains flying northward show that the migration has begun. Mating begins early in April; Crows are now seen pursuing each other in the air, turning and swooping with considerable grace. Besides the ordinary caw, and the many modifications of which it is capable, the Crow utters commonly two other striking notes. One is like a high-pitched laugh, hă-=-=-=-=-= ; the other a more guttural sound, like the gobble of a turkey, ców ców ców. Crows have a strong antipathy towards the larger hawks and owls, pursuing them sometimes in great flocks, and cawing vehemently each time the victim makes an attempt to escape his noisy escort.
Hoffmann – A Guide to the Birds of New England and Eastern New York (1904)