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Cape Crow | Corvus capensis

The Cape Crow is a Southern African bird that belongs to the Corvidae bird family group which includes birds such as Crows, Ravens.

The description for the Cape Crow (Latin name Corvus capensis) can be found in the 7th Edition of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. The Corvus capensis can be quickly identified by its unique Roberts identification number of 547 and the detailed description of this bird is on page 722. You will find a picture of the Cape Crow on page 768.

NOTE: The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition*. This edition contained a number of taxonomic changes as well as changes to English names used traditionally and in earlier editions of most bird books in South Africa. The following paragraph notes such changes if any.

This bird is known as Black Crow in the Roberts 6th Edition. There have been no changes in the Latin name for the Cape Crow between the Roberts 6th and Roberts 7th Edition

The Cape Crow is known in Afrikaans as Swartkraai.

The Cape Crow has a height of 50 cms and weighs around 500 gms. The head is coloured black while the bill is coloured black. The Corvus capensis has a black coloured throat, black legs and a black coloured back. The eyes are black.

Take note of the main distinguishing features such as colour, size and leg length relative to the body size. Colours of body parts can be helpful. Be aware what may appear brown to one person is described in Roberts using some other word ... for example brown, black. See colours used in Roberts.

Head is black

Eyes are black

Bill is black

Legs are black

Throat is black

Back is black

Feeding Habits ...

This bird forages for food on the ground

This bird is a well known scavenger and rarely kills its own prey.

This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten .

The Corvus capensis forages mainly on the ground or at the base of trees, and low down in the shrubs eating mostly fruits and seeds.

Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...

The Cape Crow is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 1 to 6 eggs and they are coloured pink.

The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae.

The Cape Crow is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees.

The bird is found in the arid and semi-arid regions of Southern Africa and it can withstand high day and night temperatures

The bird is mainly found in the Savanna grasslands where it breeds and feeds.

The bird is found in the African bushveld

This bird is very common in most of the Southern African Forests

The bird is an urban dweller as well, being at home in parks, gardens and in old vacated buildings

Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...

This bird is usually seen in small family groups or in large flocks

The reference for the information following is "Roberts Birds of Southern Africa", 7th Edition * edited by PAR Hockey, WRJ Dean and PG Ryan, published by "The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund."