We were in Fort Erie Saturday observing Fish Crows several times over 2
hours (not including a break for lunch). They tended to stay between the
Rio Vista Golf Course on Crooks St near Bowen Rd and the Niagara River.
I noticed as many as 2 at both ends of this range. (Could we witnessing
the establishment of a colony in Canada?... I don't know). I believe
there were a few people misidentifying American Crows as Fish Crows
based on an Uh-uh call which is allegedly diagnostic. My observation was
an American Crow making a gutteral low-frequency 2 tone call instead of
the squeaky nasal call used by Fish Crows. You must hear something the
tone of a begging juvenile American Crow. Check out this link in case
you haven't had them in the USA before:
http://pjdeye.blogspot.com/2009/11/fish-crow-calls.html
I also observed a Fish Crow flying in a flock of American Crows. I got
the impression that the Fish Crow had to flap almost twice as fast as
Americans just to keep up, this in spite of the wing spans being only a
few inches different. Hope this helps other late-comers.
Dan Burton,
Gravenhurst
Directions: Take the Fort Erie Bowen Street exit off the QEW and follow
the signs to Rio Vista Golf Course.
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