18 November 2025
If you think you can’t recognize birds by song I guarantee there is one whose voice you know. “Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw!” the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).
Crows are especially vocal when they see a predator. If you hear this, look for the owl!
And there’s the Double Short Caw that I often hear in summer. (I have not found a recording of it.)
Caw-Caw. Caw-Caw. Caw-Caw.
Double Short Caw. A series of caws delivered in pairs, so that the interval within a pair is smaller than between pairs. Often associated with territorial bouts, Countercawing, directed out of the territory, and particularly with the beginning of chasing bouts. Function as call-to-arms vocalizations for family members.
— Birds of the World: American crow vocalizations
Beyond cawing, crows make many strange sounds including rattles, growls, coos and clicks, as seen in this video from @Crows_are_skycats in Seattle.
The Rattle Call is really special. In 2008, R.R. Tarter, found evidence that this sound is only made by the female. Tarter, R. R. (2008). The Vocal Behavior of the American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos [master’s thesis]. The Ohio State University
Curious about what crows say? Read about crow vocalizations at Kaeli Swift’s Corvid Research website:
Oh Kate! This was such a fun and informative post. Thank you once again!! Have a wonderful day!
Always love some crow information. Thank you
Lovely post. I once met a crow named Colin at a rehab- Wildbird Recovery- decades ago (who was partly instrumental in me getting my nickname) and he had broken wings and could not be released. He had become quite tame and liked to share food with visiting humans. He would do these boops and rattles in the video as well as sorta dipping repeatedly up and down and wing spreading. It’s really a gift to get to hear them doing something other than alarm calls they are known for.
Last I heard, another crow that was either a rescue from the pet trade or could not be released ended up living with him and they became friends had a larger outdoor enclosure they enjoyed.
I still have not run into many large crow gatherings this year but am looking forward to them!