Crows nests are quite large, measuring up to two feet or more in diameter and nine or more inches high. The outer portion of the nest, which comprises the major portion of the structure, is composed primarily of dead branches, although many other materials may be used if sufficient branches of the proper size are not available. Within this large outer structure is an interior cup composed of softer materials in which the eggs are laid and incubated and the young reared. This interior cup is much smaller than the outer nest with a diameter of six or seven inches and a depth of four or five inches. Both male and female crows work in constructing the nest sometimes aided by one or more helpers, generally their offspring from previous years. When possible, nests are located well hidden in crotches high up in tall trees. If no suitable trees are available, crows may nest in shrubs, man-made structures,and rarely on the ground. Crows tend to build new nestseach year, seldom reusing a nest from a previous year. The new nests, however, will generally be located close to the old nests within the area claimed as the territory of a particular pair, or family, of crows.

EGGS Crows generally lay from 3 to 7 eggs, with 4 or 5 being the most common number. The coloration and pigment patternof the eggs can vary widely even within a single clutch with eggs being bluish-green to pale olive and variously marked with brown and gray and can vary from almost unmarked sky blue to very heavily blotched or spotted dark green. In size they average about 1.15 inches (29.13 mm) by 1.6 inches (41.40 mm) and about .0.6 ounce (17.0 g)

EGGS =Eggs may be laid as soon as the nest is finished but some crows may wait two weeks or more between completion of the nest and laying of the first egg. Eggs are usually laid onea day, generally in the late morning, with occasionally a day or two skipped between eggs. The female will generally begin incubation of the eggs before all of them have been laid, usually beginning to sit continuously after the laying of the third egg. This results in an interval between the hatching of the first and last bird of about 3 days. The female commonly is the only one of the pair that incubates the eggs, which hatch after about 18 days.

NESTLINGS When crows hatch they are blind and helpless covered with a small amount of down, and weigh a bit over an half ounce (15.5 g). The mother willbrood the young birds more or less continuously for up to two weeks, with rare breaks to collect food. After two weeks the breaks become more frequent and of longer duration until, some where between 30 and 40 days after hatching the young are ready to leave the nest. While the female is brooding the young the male, and frequently one or more helper crows, will collect food and carry it to the nest in their throats and/or sublingual pouches. They may feed the young birds directly or pass some of the food to the brooding female who may eat some of it or pass it along to the nestlings

FLEDGLINGS When young crows leave the nest, their flight feathers are not fully developed and they may not be capable of taking to the air for at least several more days. Ideally they will hop about in the nest tree while they gain the full ability to fly, but sometimes they fall to the earth where they may spend several days on the ground or in low vegetation . Even when they are on the ground, the parent birds will look after them and feed them if possible and as long as they are not taken by predators or rescued by helpful humans, they will eventually rejoin their family.

Young crows will be completely dependent upon their parents for food for a couple of weeks after leaving the nest and it may be three or four months before they are completely able to obtain all of their food them selves.

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