File:Pied crow sitting on branch - DPLA - 3e99ca6df55045868efab81fc495100b.jpg

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Aves; Order: Passeriformes; Family: Corvidae; Genus: Corvus; Genus species: Corvus albus. Animal characteristics: Height: 45 cm; Identification: The pied crow is mostly black in color with a white hind neck, mantle, and breast; Habitat: Open grasslands, forests, urban areas; Diet: Omnivore: insects, invertebrates, small mammals and reptiles, eggs, nuts, vegetable matter; Reproduction: The nest of pied crows is substantial. It is made out of sticks and lined with dead grass, old maize stocks, loose paper and string. Four to six eggs are laid and they vary in color. Nest building occurs February/March at lake Piso and irregularly December to May at Zwedru; Social Structure: Pied crows mate for life; Behavior: The pied crow is more gregarious than other ravens, where flocks of 50-70 are not uncommon. They are ardent scavengers; Status: No special status; Interesting Facts: The crow's ability to avoid succumbing to human persecution is almost legendary. They have been shot at, trapped, and poisoned by man, yet they continue to adapt. They are considered by some to be the most intelligent of all birds. In 1912, it was recorded that the pied crow was the only bird the natives would not eat, but this all changed in 1970 when guns became popular and the pied crow was easier to harvest.