Natural range of House Crow Corvus splendens covers most of Indian subcontinent and just extends into China in southern Tibet (Shigatse Prefecture) and southern Yunnan. ID & COMPARISON Vagrants have arrived by ship to coastal areas around the world, including Taiwan. These are probably from strongly contrasting grey-and-black nominate race. Race naturally occurring in China, insolens, has much less contrasting, mainly black plumage. Resembles Large-billed Crow C. macrorhynchos, with which it shares peaked crown and arched culmen, but is noticeably smaller. Carrion Crow C. corone also is larger and has flatter crown. In insolens blackish-grey plumage is on mantle and neck, but grey shading may be discernible also on breast and flanks. Blackest and glossiest plumage is on face, forecrown, chin, and throat. BARE PARTS Bill arched and thick, black. Feet black. VOICE Varied vocalizations include the well-known hoarse, grating caw, weaker than Large-billed Crow. — Craig Brelsford
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
