# Pied Crow

*Corvus albus*

Pied crows have been observed carrying hard-shelled nuts or small tortoises into the air and dropping them onto rocks or roads to crack them open.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Corvidae › Corvus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Savanna, open woodlands, agricultural lands, coastal scrub, towns, and suburban areas.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous, feeding on insects, small reptiles, seeds, fruit, carrion, eggs, and discarded human food.
- **Range:** Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Comoros
- **Size:** 46–52 cm long; wingspan 85–98 cm; weight 400–650 g
- **Lifespan:** 12–20 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Targeted poisoning by farmers who view them as agricultural pests, vehicle strikes, and electrocution on power lines.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. They are bold scavengers that will approach picnic areas or settlements for food scraps. Maintain a respectful distance to avoid causing stress. If handling an injured bird, wear thick gloves to prevent bites from its strong beak, and wash hands thoroughly after contact.

## About

The pied crow ( Corvus albus ) is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/744634c8-b2c1-4495-82a8-51ea5919cf83
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/8038
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus albus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/1628180/medium.jpg (Lip Kee, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.