Corneille d'Amérique vs Carouge à épaulettes

The American Crow and the Red-winged Blackbird are easily distinguished by their size and plumage. The American Crow is larger and uniformly black, while the male Red-winged Blackbird is smaller with distinctive red and yellow shoulder patches. These differences are reliable in the field.

Look for the size difference first; the American Crow is much larger. Note the plumage: the American Crow is all black, while the male Red-winged Blackbird has red and yellow shoulder patches. These features are visible even from a distance.

The American Crow is significantly larger than the Red-winged Blackbird.

The American Crow is entirely black, whereas the male Red-winged Blackbird has striking red and yellow shoulder patches on otherwise black plumage.