1.  I will now keep an eye out for some of the behaviors I’ve learned about. I have observed a group of 5-6 just hanging out together, apparently relaxing and observing.

2.  Due to the tool use, and cooperative breeding and subsequent social structure, crow behavior is probably more complex than that of most birds I’ve observed, but perhaps other species only seem less complex because we don’t understand what we’re looking at.

3.  To reduce WNV, we need to practice eco friendly methods of mosquito control, such as:

• The “Bucket of Doom” method espoused by Douglas Tallamy


• remove unnecessary sources of standing water, such as old tires and other trash, and untended plant saucers


• put up bat houses and encourage bat population, as they eat mosquitoes


• encourage healthy aquatic ecosystems, where predators such as small fish and dragonfly larvae and larval salamanders eat mosquito larvae and adult dragonflies eat the adults


• humans can use mosquito repellent

Crows are guardians

Crows are wary and aware

Avoid standing water around your house, especially in items like flower pots.

1. I've seen multiple crows, but I don't know that they were a family.

2. They don't seem to be bothered by much of anything.  They aren't as easily startled.

3. Try to prevent standing water. Keep birdbaths clean.

1. The crows in my neighborhood don't hang out in an area where I can easily observe them for any sustained period of time. While I knew of the assistance that yearling crows often provide to their nesting parents, it really didn't occur to me that the groups of crows hanging around nearby were family groups. I need to pay closer attention when they come around, as long as they cooperate and land where I can watch them for a while.

2. The feeding of the sick adult crow was reminiscent of the mate feeding of the male Northern Cardinal.

I had to laugh at the photo of the fledgling crow, who appeared to have grown to be as big as its parent or nearly so, still begging for food. Some years ago I had a fledgling Chipping Sparrow and its parent visiting my patio. I had scattered a bit of hulled sunflower on the concrete for the ground-feeders. The clueless kid was standing smack dab in the middle of the seed yet still begging its parent to feed it. It was pretty hilarious.

3. I had no idea that West Nile Virus was so contagious among crows and jays; I thought mosquitoes were the exclusive vector. I do my best to keep my birdbath clean, especially in hot weather, and change the water daily. Supporting species who feast on mosquitoes, particularly bats, is another way to help. Unfortunately I can't put up a bat box where I live (stupid HOA; moreover, a bat box needs to be sited correctly, or bats won't use it, and I don't have an optimal place to situate one). For those folks who can put up a bat box, it's a win all around: it helps bat populations, which also need our support; it helps birds; and it helps prevent people from becoming the victims of those pesky little blood-sucking females.

2. They seem way more family-orientated and I love how they care for their sick flockmates.

3. Dump out still water and eliminate places where it can gather to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

1. Lots of communication and food sharing.

2. Crows are definitely one of the more sociable species.

3. West Nile hit the crows and Blue Jays hard initially, but rarely see sick birds now.  Vector control by reducing mosquito breeding habitat like standing water in yards is the best way to protect ourselves and the birds.

What little I have been able to observe of crows is they hang together. They are not bothered by a small animal eating with them. Where I have seen other birds not come to the feeder when an animal is there.  I have seen where a crow or two would sit high up while other ate.

By cleaning up deceased prey. Hang bat boxes to attract bats, so they will eat up the mosquitos. To keep yards clean of standing water that attract mosquitos.

Now I know to refer to the family of crows living in my neighborhood as a family and not a murder! That's so cool. There was one young crow who was very vocal and visible by my house throughout the summer. It always had at least one other family member with it and it has been fun to watch it grow. The crows do seem to get along really well but I do see dominance between them. However, it's not overly-aggressive behavior...more like a big brother cutting in line for food ahead of his younger sibling. The Black-billed Magpies in my neighborhood seem much more tactical about food than the family of crows. They are braver around humans and descend on food almost instantly. I call them "Seal Team 6" because they are so organized. The crows don't seem to have that same urgency. To help protect crows from WNV, I can look into ways to help reduce the amount of mosquitos in my yard. We don't have a lot, but when it rains they become thicker.

1. Sometimes the offspring get feisty with the parents. They also seem to try to outdo each other when going after food.

2. The crows always seem to work together while other birds seem to chase each other away from food sources.

3. Treat mosquito infected areas, or eliminate standing water in yard area.

Interesting.  I didn't know about families.

I live in Central Alberta Canada. Usually, American crows are only her in the summer. However, last winter two remained. They joined the magpies in our garden for the winter and ate from food put out on a plate for the magpies, but could not get into the feeder, although they watched the magpies do it. These two survived the winter, but when the summer crows who nest near by returned, they chased off the winter pair. The crows have left now this year and there is no sign of the winter two.

Our summer crows can get into the feeder. It took them a couple of years of watching the magpies and learning to fold their wings in time. Now, they teach their young to do it each summer.

The crows know me when I put food out and will sit close by. The magpies are less trusting! However, the latter will come to the window or door in the winter if I don't get the food out soon enough in the morning.

When my cat was alive, both the crows and magpies knew her and ignored her -even to the point in the case of the magpies telling off their young for harrassing her. Shew was older and never chased them. But one day a ginger cat came in the yard and both species immediately chased it off!

1. The adults are very protective of juveniles on the ground - CAW! CAW! CAW!

2. When crows are flying in groups, they appear to be having a grand old time, swooping here and there, and being very raucous. They also watch out for each other. In comparison, I imagine they share a lot of similar behaviors to ravens. I just finished watching Vance Crofoot’s 2024 documentary “What Ravens Do,” and I will be more observant in the future of the similarities and differences in behavior.

3. I haven’t thought about West Nile Virus much, which is bad since I do much of my birding in the evening. I recently started wearing long-sleeved shirts at the local wetlands, but I need to use insect spray. My county’s mosquito & vector control district web page has a diagram of the virus cycle: mosquito bites bird with WNV (believe it or not, a crow is shown), and the same mosquito bites people and animals. The district recommends: 1) Get rid of standing water, 2) check house screens for holes, 3) wear insect repellent, and 4) report dead birds.

1. We have a family of crows and they love our neighbours's trash can. They roost on the wire hoping that someone will fill the trash enough than the lid will not close tight and they will be able to get some food. Otherwise, since we feed the blue jays and that the squirrels and chipmunks hide peanut all over our yard, the crows wander about to find some hidden peanuts. Fun to watch. They are around our house most of the day.

2. Crows are nothing like the other birds. They are just so relaxed and they take walks on the grass and do their things.

I recently read the book Science Comics: Crows  Genius Birds, By Kyla Vanderklugt.

It went into great depth about the PFC and the crow's lack of one. It also discussed the crow's ability to count to 6 and the part of the Crow's brain known as the Nidopallium Caudolaterale, or NCL.

Crows can also see farther in depth of the Ultraviolet spectrum than humans can (humans can't see ultraviolet at all)

When I was in high school, I picked up a dead crow outside my school that I suspect had been killed by students and brought it home to skin (taxidermy was a hobby at the time). I chose a clearing near my house surrounded by alder trees and, in the middle of skinning, looked up to see maybe a dozen crows perched in the branches watching me in utter silence. It was an eerie and moving experience, and not something I would expect to see from most other species!

I have been sad this year because it seems like the old couple I have been watching for the last ten years must have died.

For most of my time living where I am, there was a crow couple that lived in the tree across the street. They would sit on the power line across the street, side by side, and one would put it's head down for the other to preen,  which they dutifully did, for a few minutes and then would move farther down the power line. The preenee would then sidle down the power line to be next to the preener, put it's head down and repeat the request, which would be performed again. This ritual would go on sometimes for 15-20 minutes until the preener would fly away, with preenee following. I haven't seen them in about a year now. I miss watching them.

I do feed the group during the winter. A few show up in the morning and when they see me putting out food and water they call to the rest in neighboring trees "breakfast's ready!"

1. There are a couple pairs of crows that hang out in a tree behind my house in the morning. They are paired up sometimes allopreening and other times just seeming like they're hanging out with good company. They will vocalize if others land in the tree.

2. Crows seem to be more social and hang out in pairs or groups compared to the other solitary birds I see around my yard.

3. Plant native plants to attract animals that feast on mosquitos like bats.

This helped a lot. Thanks! Crow behavior is very different from other birds. I notice that with any other random bird couples that we may have on the back porch eating birdseed, they're just kind of eating and minding they're own business or yelling at the other types of birds. Yes, I'm sure that they're all cummunicating in their own way, but crows seem to be a little easier to understand what they're thinking. Crows are usually talking more to each other and they're personalities are easier to read.

3. Using mosquito nibs in bird baths or other places where mosquito might breed.  Encourage dragonflies by giving them places to land.

WNV. Mosquitoes.  Bad news all the way around.  In an effort to decrease the spread of the virus, steps should be taken to slow the reproduction of mosquitoes.  Eliminating  standing water  and installing bat houses are two things that may help.  And for the personal protection of people, wearing long sleeved clothes and use of mosquito repellent is advised.

We can decrease the spread of West Nile by eliminating sources of life for mosquitoes— for example standing water.  I do have a bird bath in my yard but I change the water frequently and watch for mosquito larvae.

My husband and I heard several birds yesterday when we were watching the birds in our front yard, but could not actually located them.  We have not seen as many crows this summer, because of the drought?

Item 3: encourage mosquito consuming birds, bats, frogs in our area.

decrease mosquito breeding areas around our homes and grounds. Straighten gutters so that water does not stand. Put vibraters in water holders or keep water moving.

support mosquito studies like at U Notre dame near us by providing spots for collection devices and volunteering.

We have a family of crows that visit our backyard feeder and the interaction between them is so interesting.  There are three young (I assume siblings) and they seem like they're goofing off, poking each other, playing with each other.  Then the adult shows up, caws at them, and they follow the adult away.