crow in the mountains
General term for crows found in mountainous areas; may be used poetically or in everyday speech.
A mountain crow flew away cawing.
jungle crow; large-billed crow
Specifically refers to Corvus macrorhynchos, also known as ハシブトガラス. Common in Japan.
See also: ハシブトガラス
Refers to Corvus frugilegus, a species of crow. Less commonly encountered in Japan; often called ミヤマガラス.
See also: ミヤマガラス
dark-skinned person
Archaic derogatory term; not used in modern Japanese. Historical usage only.
山烏 is sometimes used as another name for the jungle crow (ハシブトガラス).
The name 山烏 can also refer to the rook (ミヤマガラス).
In old texts, there are examples of 山烏 being used as a derogatory term for dark-skinned people.
Standard kanji spelling for this bird name.
Variant kanji form using 鴉; less common than 山烏.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') and 烏 (karasu, 'crow'), literally 'mountain crow'. The exact derivation is uncertain; the term has been applied to several crow species and historically used as a derogatory label.