The little crow (''Corvus bennetti'') is an Australian species of crow, very similar to the

Torresian crow The Torresian crow (''Corvus orru''), also called the Australian crow or Papuan crow, is a passerine bird in the crow family native to the north and west of Australia and nearby islands in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The species has a black ...

in having white bases to the neck and head feathers (shown when ruffled in strong wind) but slightly smaller (38–45 cm in length) and with a slightly smaller bill. It has the same white iris that distinguish the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n species from all other ''Corvus'' except a few island species to the north of Australia, and one from Eurasia, the jackdaw (''Corvus monedula''). Like the Australian raven, this species has a blue ring around the pupil.

Distribution and habitat

It ranges over western and central Australia, often inhabiting very dry, near desert areas. It frequents small country towns and cultivated areas, where its flocks have reminded people of the European rook.

Etymology

''C. bennetti'' was named in honour of the New South Wales ornithologist and collector of natural history specimens,

Kenric Harold Bennett Kenric was established in 1965 and is made up of a network of social groups for lesbians throughout the United Kingdom. Members are of all ages, although mainly due to the long-running nature of the network it is most popular with women over 30 yea ...

Behaviour

Diet

Its food is mainly taken from the ground and includes insects,

cereal A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

s and other seeds. It is less of a scavenger than the

Nesting

It usually nests in small, loose colonies, building stick nests lined with mud (the only Australian species of Corvid known to do this).

Call

The little crow's calls range from a harsh ''hark-hark-hark-hark'' to a more raven-like ''ah-ah-ah''.

Image links

Little Crow 1

Little Crow 2

Little crow series

References

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1299703

little crow Little Crow III (Dakota: ''Thaóyate Dúta''; 1810 – July 3, 1863) was a Mdewakanton Dakota chief who led a faction of the Dakota in a five-week war against the United States in 1862. In 1846, after surviving a violent leadership contest ...

Endemic birds of Australia