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Except
for the head, throat, wings, tail and thigh feathers, which are black and mostly
glossy, the plumage is ash-grey, the dark shafts giving it a streaky appearance.
The bill and legs are black. There is only one moult in autumn, as in other crow
species. The male is the larger bird, otherwise the sexes are alike.
The flight is
slow and heavy and usually straight.
The length varies from 48 to 52 cm. When
first hatched the young are much blacker than the parents.The Hooded
Crow, with its contrasted greys and blacks, cannot be confused with either the
Carrion Crow or
Rook,
but the kraa call notes of the two
are almost indistinguishable
The Hooded Crow
is omnivorous, with a diet
similar to that of the Carrion Crow, and is a
constant scavenger.
It drops
molluscs
and
crabs
to break them after the manner of the Carrion Crow.On coastal
cliffs the eggs of
gulls,
cormorants
and other birds are stolen when their owners
are absent, and it will enter the
burrow of the
Puffin
to steal eggs.
Nests are occasionally placed
on or near the ground. The nest resembles that of the
Carrion Crow, but on the coast seaweed is often
interwoven in the structure. The
four to six brown-speckled blue eggs are incubated for 17-19 days
by the female
alone, who is fed by the male. The young fledge after 32-36
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