You can use it for research or reference. To access the current information, please visit NatureCounts - The State of Canada’s Birds (external link).
In Canada, the Northwestern Crow is restricted to the coast of British Columbia. It is very similar to, and often considered a subspecies of, the American Crow, from which it differs in its smaller size and lower pitched call (Verbeek and Butler 1999). The Northwestern Crow adapts well to urban and rural habitats, and results from the Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count suggest little overall change in numbers since the early 1970s. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The Northwestern Crow formerly foraged primarily on shoreline environments such as tidal flats and rocky shores. Forest clearing along the coast and rivers has allowed an expansion of its historic range (Verbeek and Butler 1999). An adaptable species, the Northwestern Crow now feeds extensively in human-altered environments as well, including landfills and suburban gardens (Verbeek and Butler 1999). Large urban roost sites, at least one of which numbers about 16,000 birds, are often considered nuisances by local residents (Verbeek and Butler 1999). Recent studies have identified high concentrations of beak deformities in Northwestern Crow's from Alaska to British Columbia and into Washington though the cause and potential effects on populations are not known (Van Hemert and Handel 2010).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.