Do crows mate for life? Here's why the American crow is a more romantic bird than you would expect — and how pairs show affection.
Crows Are More Romantic Birds Than You Think
Published on Oct. 14, 2024
We humans tend to romanticize birds whose mated pairs have an element of traditional romance. We love to marvel at sandhill cranes’ elaborate mating dances, and northern cardinals’ sweet courtship displays. Conversations abound about the swoon-worthy swan. However, one big black bird doesn’t often come up in these discussions: the American crow. That said, crow “romances” are just as heartwarming. Here’s why.
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Crows Pairs Often Mate for Life
Like cranes, cardinals, and swans, American crows do, on average, mate for life. As with many birds, if a crow’s partner dies, the bird will usually mate again — but they tend to remain together till death.
“Saying ‘for life’ really means the duration of one member of the pair,” explains John Marzluff, professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington and corvid researcher. “The pair stays together until one dies, and then the other may quickly re-mate, or it may not find a mate for years.”
In addition, in the springtime, mated crows work together to defend their territory. John says that while we don’t know for certain why crows choose the mates that they do, size, plumage, and an ability to fend off intruders might play into it.
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However, because crows remain together for the duration of their ‘union,’ they don’t have the elaborate displays that certain other species do. “It’s common for the pair to be close together all the time,” John says, discussing mated crows’ habits during nesting season. “There’s a lot of care and attention paid to one another throughout the year, not just in preparation for mating.”
Learn how to tell the difference between a raven vs a crow.
Not Always Empty Nesters
While we tend to assume birds raise young and then the fledglings fly off into the world, that’s not always the case for crows. In a hilariously almost-human phenomenon that seems almost analogous to living at home to save on rent, some juvenile crows will remain with their parents for a longer period of time, remaining in their parents’ territory and helping them raise later broods.
John says this behavior is most common in the eastern United States, and it occurs far less frequently in the West. “Often these are young males that don’t disperse and can’t get a mate themselves,” he says. “They may stay home to help their parents and gain status before they go off and get a mate.”
He elaborates, saying that the availability of territory plays into a crow’s decision to fly the nest… or not. “That social fabric is flexible depending on available territories; if there’s a lot and there’s no reason to stay at home, go get your own; if it’s crowded, stay at home and gain status and experience before you can compete successfully,” he says. “Maybe you even claim a piece of your parents’ territory for your own.”
Overall, John emphasizes that crows’ behaviors are flexible, and we can’t say that they always do something all the time. “In the east, they have more helpers than in the west,” he says. “In some places they migrate, and in some places they don’t.” According to general trends, though, John says crows do mate for life — and in the bird world, that’s close enough to epic romance.
Crows are members of the super-smart corvid family of birds: blue jays, magpies, and more.
A Public Display of Crow Affection
“Last year I saw these birds grooming. I thought they were crows, but after I zoomed in, I wasn’t sure. Can you help?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Dorothy Furrow of Grottoes, Virginia.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Yes, these are American crows. They’re sociable birds, and a mated pair will often mate for life, staying together at all seasons.
What the two birds are doing in the photo is called allopreening, in which they groom each other’s feathers—especially around the head and neck, in spots that an individual can’t reach with its own beak. They do this a lot, especially in the early part of the nesting season. Who knew crows could be so romantic?”
Next, learn why crows chase hawks and owls.
About the Experts
John Marzluff, PhD., is a professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington. A renowned avian and corvid researcher, his contributions to the field highlight not only crows’ remarkable intelligence, but also their ability to remember faces and pass that information to other crows. He has written multiple books, including Gifts of the Crow, In the Company of Crows and Ravens, and Welcome to Subirdia.
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
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