Anything but Common: The Hidden Life of the American Crow

There is a lot of lawn right where I live.  That's where I see crows foraging the most.  I am concerned as I know there is a great deal of pesticide / herbicide on the lawn to keep it green and even.  I had a line of bluebird nests that I checked regularly.  On several occasions I found all chicks and parent were dead inside.  I tended to blame that on the lawn pesticides.  I don't know any crow nests so don't know if they have the same problem with dead young.  The crows drink in the creek that runs along side my home (also bathe).  They also drink from my bird bath.  They don't seem very afraid of people.  Most people here like them, but there are some that hate them.  And some that don't even seem to notice them.

Not in cities much, but they must nest in parks??

I have noticed that in the city the crows seem a bit friendlier and less skittish of people. Same with the city squirrels. For the most part the people seem oblivious to the crows as the people are too busy going about their daily routines

This part of the course was discouraging. I maintain my suburban garden for the pollinators and birds who are resident or migrating and try to make it as natural as possible. No lawn. There are lots of insects to eat and no pesticides. The crows turned up when I started sharing my breakfast walnuts with the chickadees and oak titmice. Whenever my cat Isobel caught a rat, I would set it out for the crows. I hate to think that my daily walnut offerings are in any way hurting their reproductive success.  I do see crows eating out of discarded snack and fast food bags. Sometimes they will steal from my lunch plate, but I have been eating less meat.  Do you think my offerings and their thefts could be contributing to a lower reproductive success?

Sadly, I think many people think that crows are either nuisance animals or lowly scavengers; and they think that crows have unappealing calls (their caws) unlike small songbirds; and if these were not enough, they also think that crows (with their seemingly all-dark plumage) symbolize darkness and despair (hence the old stereotypical portrayal of crows always cawing around cemeteries, deep leafless woods, and abandoned Victorian homes).  However, I know that crows are among the most intelligent animals (not just birds).  Crows in urban and suburban areas are actually craftily and opportunistically looking for greater effective ways to feed and shelter themselves.  Furthermore, many crows actually can interact with people in a good way, and be harmless around people.  Crows also can recognize particular individuals of their own species as well--something that I once thought only humans, great apes, elephants and dolphins can do.  Thus, all people should know the crow in this majestic bird's real and true form.