I was surprised that the baby crows were taken out of the nest and then returned with no adverse effects to the family.

That they use 3 different bands/tags to ID them!

I had heard previously about some of how crows are researched but I did not know that they sex them via blood samples.

I'm surprised that the big plastic tags don't get in the crows' way. And the radio trackers, those seem cumbersome. I'm surprised that the processing that the researchers do doesn't disrupt the family life of the crow.

Going up into the nests to capture the baby crows to take blood and band them.  I hope they are gentle with them :)

in the hand

That they take the babies so young to mark and study.  Also that the markings stay on for such a long time. That crows live to be 19 years old

Getting up to those tall nests!  AND blue-eyed young.  I learned that in ornithology, but had forgotten.

I knew most of it as I have been corvid crazy since the cradle and have followed Dr. MacGowan's work for a very long time.  I guess the fact that the team could so closely follow individuals and identify their relationship with other other birds within the different flocks/families.

That they can climb up into those high trees to tag babies in the nests and that it doesn't disturb the mother's interest in her nest. Also the multiple banding method and that sexing the crows comes by taking blood.

I didn't know that sex was determined by taking blood and DNA testing. If crows live up to 19 years in the wild, how long would they live if they are in captivity/in a park/non-releasable facility?

The way they identify them with three different ids.

The multiple banding  method and the ability to track crows for 18 years. I did not know they lived this long. This is the kind of meticulous work that reminds me of Jane Goodall tracking primates. Fascinating to know there are such personalities in crows. Admirable work. Great to finally understand why they hang out in cemeteries.

1)length of life 2) no down on babies 3) at least in NY, maintain same nests

1) that mom and babies tolerate banding, blood samples so well.

The longevity of a crow is mind blowing!

`my reaction is a repeat of most all comments below. I love that they become individually known over time. I tend to be amazed that they tolerate all that "stuff" on them - bands, and tags, and radio thingies, and that those things do not alter their behavior in some way. Wee comment, if photographers are willing to give up their credits occasionally, it was hard for me not to peek at the credit ... which was often a dead giveaway as to which the crow was). HOWEVER, I still paid attention to the difference and learned something so it was fascinating - though I would count myself fortunate indeed to see a (non-stranded) baby in the field!

I'd agree with Ben.  I'm amazed at the nest to grave study !!  And on a highly individualized level !  Bird by bird, year after year.  I'm also amazed to learn of their longevity.  I'd have thought crows lived somewhere around five to six years.  Eighteen or nineteen !!!  Wow !!

I thought that crows would have lived way longer than 13 years.

I was surprised by their longevity.

most interesting was the nest to grave approach. the amount of data that studying individuals that way must generate is kind of mind blowing! also, kudos to you brave souls for scaling such heights to collect data.

I liked that they studied the birds as individuals and tracked how they were related to other crows.

I was surprised not only by the fact that they took babies but by the blood sampling.

I was surprised that researchers took baby crows from their nests.

I like how the team can track individuals and find out how long they live and who they hang out with. To get to know the crows as individuals would be so rewarding, like having an old friend. It is so miraculous to see how the little ones look so helpless and how they change over time. It was so interesting how they are born with blue eyes! Neat to see the bird's eye view from their nests. It makes me wonder how you would tell a squirrel nest from a crow nest.