Eastern Bird Banding Association Annual Meeting, Painted Post, NY, April 1993.

Kevin J. McGowan, Section of Ecology & Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

THE COMPLEX LIFE OF THE AMERICAN CROW

Although the American Crow is a common bird, many aspects of its unusual life history are unfamiliar to most people. My work with individually-marked crows has shown that most crows breeding in central New York appear to be sedentary, remaining near their nesting sites throughout the year. It is likely that most crows do not breed until they are 3 to 5 years old. Instead, young crows remain with their parents for several years and help their parents raise young.