Corvus ossifragus
Status: Rare casual summer visitor. 
Documentation: Recording: 15 Apr 2026 Fairbury City Park, Jefferson Co (Jorgensen, eBird.org).
Taxonomy: No subspecies are recognized (AviList 2025).
Summer: There are three accepted records, including successful nesting.
15 Apr-15 Jul 2026 Fairbury City Park, Jefferson Co (Jorgensen 2026, eBird.org)
2-8 May 2026 Conestoga Lake, Lancaster Co (Schneider, Lacy; audio T. Brown 7 May, eBird.org)
29 May-15 Aug 2009, at mile 1.2 on the lower Platte River, Sarpy and Cass Cos (Jorgensen et al 2009; Brogie 2009, Silcock 2009).
The 2009 record apparently involved a single bird that was reported by five different observers. The reports 29 May and 24 Jul included extended observations in which the bird vocalized repeatedly; the 8 Aug sighting was of a bird in heavy primary molt, allowing separation from at least juvenile (and possibly adult) American Crow (Jorgensen et al 2009).
The second record, at Fairbury City Park, Jefferson Co, initially involved a pair on 15 Apr 2026, and these were joined by a third on 16 Apr that was not seen subsequently although three were noted 9-10 May (Neal Ratzlaff, Linda Sullivan, eBird.org); a recording was made by Joel Jorgensen, the finder, on 15 Apr and again by others subsequently. Amazingly, the original pair appeared to be tending a nest under construction 16 Apr (Michael Willison, eBird.org); apparent nest material was being carried 17 Apr (Jerry Probst, Bill Huser, Justin Rink, eBird.org), and sticks were being carried to two different nests in neighboring sycamores 16 and18 Apr (Boni Edwards, John Carlini, Shari Schwartz, eBird.org). The original nest appeared to be near complete 22 Apr (Joel Jorgensen) and incubation was presumed to be underway 3 and 22 May (Rita Cunha). A successful outcome was documented by the presence of at least one nestling 1-2 weeks old being fed by adults 8 Jun (Joel Jorgensen). On 18 Jun the adults were visiting the nest, (Kirill Belashchenko) presumably feeding chicks, and on 30 Jun the two adults were feeding a recently fledged juvenile (Joel Jorgensen). The last sighting of Fish Crows was 15 Jul (David Cunnimgham). Locals stated the birds had been present for 2-3 years and were thought to be “weird ducks” (Justin Rink, eBird.org). Intriguingly, there was a record in neighboring Washington Co, Kansas a year earlier, 11 Apr 2025.
The third record, at Conestoga Lake, Lancaster Co was of three birds discovered but not identified on 3 May 2026 by Caleb Schneider and Zach Lacy; they were documented with audio 7 May by Tobin Brown (eBird.org).
Another credible report involved four birds flying overhead giving the distinctive double-noted call in Omaha, Douglas Co 5 Mar 2009. The lone observer was experienced with the species in Arkansas; the date of the sighting precludes calling juvenile American Crows. A reported calling bird in Richardson Co 18 Apr 2025 was not accepted by NOURC (Brogie 2026).
Comments: This species has expanded its range greatly in the 2000s, leading to gradual expansion of its southern USA summer range north and west (McGowan 2020) into southeastern Kansas river valleys; the first Kansas record was in 1984 (Thompson et al 2011). There are now multiple reports in Kansas, mostly Mar-Aug, covering the southeast third of the state, north to Doniphan, Leavenworth, and Atchison Cos in the northeast and Riley and Reno Cos to the west (eBird.org, accessed Nov 2023). In northwestern Missouri, northernmost reports are in Holt Co at Loess Bluffs NWR 3 Apr 2023 and Big Lake SP 20 May 2018 (Robbins 2018, eBird.org, accessed Nov 2023).
Following the presence of a single Fish Crow beginning in 2014 at Saylorville Reservoir, central Iowa, and two birds since 2018, persistent searching finally resulted in discovery of a nest with two young 19 Jul 2022 in a white pine grove near Polk City; as stated by the author, this find is “well out of range and represents a substantial range expansion to the northwest” (Dinsmore 2024). However, nesting has not been noted in central Iowa since 2022 and the species has been unreported in central Iowa in 2026, suggesting colonization of sites well outside of the species’ established range may be ephemeral.
Breeding records are often associated with heronries, including those of Great Blue Heron (Thompson et al 2011); it has been suggested that northward expansion of Fish Crow may be related to the northward expansion of heron and grackle colonies (McGowan 2020). The latter do not seem likely to be contributors to Fish Crow northward expansion and appearances in Nebraska; rather more likely is some mix of climate warming, end of hunting pressure, and fire suppression in riparian corridors.
Images
Abbreviations
NWR: National Wildlife Refuge
SP: State Park
Literature Cited
AviList Core Team, 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025. https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025.
Brogie, M.A. 2009. 2009 (21st) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 77: 160-168.
Brogie, M.A. 2026. 2025 (37th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 94: 69-75.
Dinsmore, S.J. 2024. Fish Crow Nesting in Polk County. Iowa Bird Life 94: 17-18.
Jorgensen, J.G. 2026. Second documented occurrence and first breeding record of Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) in Nebraska. NBR 94: 76-81.
Jorgensen, J.G., M.J. Panella, W.R. Silcock, and K.J. Stoner. 2009. The Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) reaches Nebraska. NBR 77: 155-159.
McGowan, K.J. 2020. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.fiscro.01.
Robbins, M. 2018. Checklist S45878004: Big Lake SP, Holt County, Missouri, US. eBird.org, accessed 8 Jun 2018.
Silcock, W.R. 2009. Spring Field Report, March-May 2009. NBR 77: 46-68.
Thompson, M.C., C.A. Ely, B. Gress, C. Otte, S.T. Patti, D. Seibel, and E.A. Young. 2011. Birds of Kansas. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2026. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 7 Sep 2026, map inserted 14 July 2026