What is the three black crows pattern?
The three black crows is a bearish candlestick pattern. Three long red candles in a row, each opening inside the last body and closing near its low.
How to spot a three black crows
- 1Look for three long red candles in a row after an advance.
- 2Each one opens inside the previous candle's body.
- 3Each one closes at or near its own low, lower than the last.
How does the three black crows form?
Three long red bars in a row, each opening inside the previous body and closing near its own low.
How do you confirm a three black crows?
Look for small lower shadows. Bars that close on their lows say selling was continuous, not panicked and bought back.
When does the three black crows fail?
Three decisive down bars often arrive at the end of a decline, where the selling is capitulation and the bounce comes next.
No chart pattern works every time. The examples on this page were chosen because they show the pattern clearly, and in real markets patterns fail often.
Practice on real charts
3 real examples of the three black crows, cut off where the pattern completed. Make your call, then see what happened.
The shaded area is a three black crows. Where did price go next?
Three Black Crows: common questions
Is the three black crows bullish or bearish?
The three black crows is bearish. Three decisive closes near the lows say the selling is deliberate, not panic.
How do you spot a three black crows?
Look for three long red candles in a row after an advance. Each one opens inside the previous candle's body. Each one closes at or near its own low, lower than the last.
What is the difference between the three black crows and the three white soldiers?
The three black crows: Three long red candles in a row, each opening inside the last body and closing near its low. The three white soldiers: Three long green candles in a row, each opening inside the last body and closing near its high.
How reliable is the three black crows?
No chart pattern works every time. Three decisive down bars often arrive at the end of a decline, where the selling is capitulation and the bounce comes next. That is why it helps to wait for confirmation and to practice on many real examples before relying on it.
How can I practice spotting the three black crows?
Use the real charts on this page: each one stops where the three black crows completed, so you can make a call and then see what happened. The free Chartle app mixes the three black crows in with 48 other patterns in short daily sessions.
Keep learning
- Chart pattern gameGuess where price goes next on real charts, all 49 patterns mixed.
- All 49 chart patternsEvery bullish and bearish pattern, with a printable cheat sheet.
- How to read candlestick chartsBodies, wicks and colors explained from the start.
- Cheat sheet PDFAll patterns on two printable pages.
