Crows and Carnage

The American Crow has gotten a bad rap over the years for it's roadkill eating habits and is commonly referred to as a scavenger.  Truth is, carnage is only a very small part of it's diet.

Picture from All About Birds

 Though their bills are large, crows can’t break through the skin of an animal, therefore they must wait for something else to open a carcass or for the carcass to decompose and become tender enough to eat.  Crows will feed on scraps of human food, seeds, nuts, acorns, eggs, stranded fish and other grains.  They also prey on mice, frogs and other small animals.