American Crow (with American Flag)

With Pacific Northwest bird IDs, there’s some confusion over whether the crows you see are American Crows or the birds known as “Northwestern Crows” — similar in appearance but genetically distinct. The consensus seems to be that wherever Northwestern Crows might have existed, they’re now so interbred with American Crows that there isn’t really a difference. In other words, even if the crow isn’t pledging allegiance, you can pretty much consider him (or her) an American Crow.

** In 2020, the Northwestern Crow designation went away and they are all now American Crow: “… the American Ornithological Society, which maintains a formal checklist of all North American birds, announced that it was officially absorbing the Northwestern Crow (Corvus caurinus) into the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). With this vote the organization’s Checklist Committee rendered the Northwestern Crow no more. [Audubon]

Photographed at the Ballard Locks in Seattle • Olympus OM-D E-M5 • Lumix 100-300mm