KEY SPECIES

HOODED CROW Despite its distinctive grey-and-black plumage, the Hooded Crow is very similar to its more common cousin in the UK, the Carrion Crow. The Hooded Crow is found predominantly north of the Grampians in Scotland, on the Isle of Man and in Ireland. The Carrion Crow is found practically everywhere else in the UK. Hoodies, as Scots and birders affectionately name them, are migratory at the extreme northern edge of their range. Scandinavian birds occasionally stray to the eastern coast of England during the winter. The two species were lumped together until as recently as 2002; and they interbreed in most places wherever their distribution meets. Although similar in habits to its all-black cousin, its ‘cawing’ can be slightly less malevolent sounding to some ears. In Europe, it is generally found east of Germany, in Scandinavia, east to Siberia and from Austria south to Italy and parts of the Middle East. Four subspecies are generally recognised although one, the Mesopotamian Crow, has been tipped to be split as another separate species.