Corvus capensis; Print; The Cape crow or black crow (Corvus capensis) is slightly larger (48-50 cm in length) than the carrion crow and is completely black with a slight gloss of purple in its feathers. It has proportionately longer legs; wings and tail too and has a much longer; slimmer bill that seems to be adapted for probing into the ground for invertebrates. The head feathers have a coppery-purple gloss and the throat feathers are quite long and fluffed out in some calls and displays.; 1835