How Long Do Crows Live (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 10 To 20 Years

Wildlife takes about more than half of the population of living organisms in the world, and wildlife includes animals, birds, sea creatures, and many others. Birds can be both domestic and wild and though people classify most of the organisms that fly like birds. Yet, some are classified as birds, while some can be classified as animals. The birds belong to various genus, families and there are many things to know about birds, like where they live, where they migrate, where they breed and when, and much more.

Some birds are very common across the world, while some are not that sighted in everyday life. Some birds are even extinct. One bird that has many types and is certainly very far from extinction is the crow. When one mentions the word crow, the first thing that comes to anybody’s mind is the pitch blackbird that is seen everywhere one goes. Yet, not many people know that there are many kinds of crows in the world and there are many interesting things to know about crows.

According to ornithologists, crows normally live for two decades, both in wild and in captivity. Just like every other living organism, their life span depends on many factors. Though there is a distinct belief that crows live in captivity longer.

How Long Do Crows Live?

Members of the genus Corvus, and existing in almost every continent of the world, crows are one of the birds that live for quite a while. Crows are even found in the insignia of many countries and empires, as they symbolize strength. Any glossy blackbird found is classified as a crow, and the only place where they are not sighted is Antarctica and they are scarcely sighted in the south of South America. Crows are normally confused with ravens, which are larger and thick-billed, and they also belong to the same genus as crows.

More than 40 Corvus species of birds are classified as a crow and yet, not every one of them is a crow. Usually, large crows measure about 20 inches long and their wingspan is around 39 inches, which is a meter. Crows are omnivores and they walk on the ground and feed. Crows tend to attack and eat weak animals and prey on meat, both of dead and living organisms. Crows are omnivores, and so they eat berries, fruits, insects, birds, anything tiny that suits their taste.

They even prey on roadkill and dead human carcass. They even steal from other animals, like otters, water birds, and vultures when they are distracted.

Why Do Crows Live That Long?

Crows live in families and they are social birds. They defend and protect their own, care for their young ones, and hunt and forage together. Usually, young crows spend about six months, with their parents before they fly off on their own.

The eggs of crows are greenish or olive, and various reasons determine how long a crow lives in captivity and the wild. The life span of the bird in the wild depends on how well the crow evades its predators. Crow has many predators and so, crows do live longer in captivity. When the crows manage to evade all their predators, they can live for about 10 to 20 years without a doubt. According to ornithologists, the oldest crow that ever lived was named Tata, which lived for about 59 years and died in 2006.

Conclusion

Hence, crows live for about 10 to 20 years, but the lifespan can vary even based on the breed. For example, the common raven can live for about 15 to 20 years, the American crow can live for 7 to 8 years, while the Australian raven can live for more than 20 years. The female lays about 4 to 5 eggs, and they incubate the eggs for about 18 days.

After 4 weeks, the chicks can leave the nest, as they will be able to defend themselves. Although, the parents will still feed them for about 60 days, and the average lifespan of any crow will be around 10 to 20 years.

References

1. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.44537
2. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspb.2003.2608