UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 621 i 
Cflf* Contribution from the Bureau of Biological Survey *j{l 
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Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 
February 16, 1918 
THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 
By E. R. Kalmbach, Assistant Biologist. 
CONTENTS. 
Introduction 1 
Systematic position and distribution of the 
crow 2 
Life history 4 
The roosting habit 6 
Information from correspondents 9 
Food habits 10 
Adult crows 11 
Animal food 11 
Vegetable food 42 
Nestling crows 55 
Animal food • 57 
Page. 
Food habits— Continued. 
Nestling crows— Continued. 
Vegetable food 67 
Distribution of live-stock diseases 68 
Distribution of seeds 68 
Natural enemies 71 
Protection of crops 73 
Legislation 80 
Summary 81 
Conclusion 85 
List of items identified in stomachs 86 
Index 91 
INTRODUCTION. 
Since the publication in 1895 of " The Common Crow of the United 
States " 1 no comprehensive treatise on the economic status of the 
crow has appeared. The edition of that bulletin has long since been 
exhausted, and the only recent publications available for inquirers 
have been short articles on the crow appearing in papers dealing with 
a number of birds. 2 In response to the many urgent requests for in- 
formation for a number of years a complete investigation of the food 
habits of the crow was undertaken, and this paper is the result. As 
the former bulletin was based on an examination of the food of only 
909 crows, collected mainly in eastern States, it was apparent that 
the number would have to be supplemented by material from other 
i Barrows, W. B., and Schwarz, E. A., Bull. No. 6, Div. of Ornithology and Mammalogy, 
TJ. S. Dept. Agr., 1895. 
2 Notably Farmers' Bulletins 54, pp. 15-17, 1897 (revised edition pp. 22-23, 1904) ; 
630, pp. 17-19, 1915 ; and 755, pp. 17-19, 1916. 
Note. This bulletin discusses in detail the beneficial and harmful food habits of the 
crow ; gives a general account of its life history and geographic distribution ; and sbows 
,how it may be controlled where necessary. It is for general distribution. 
14653°— 18— Bull. 621 1 
