Anything but Common: The Hidden Life of the American Crow

This is not quite a family with more than just a pair.  However, they stayed together patiently with one of the birds preening itself (no allopreening that I had a chance to observe).

clear away all standing water outside where mosquitoes could breed

2: As someone who lives in Michigan, I often see small groups of crows together, whether it be on a walk in the park or in a parking lot. I find it extremely interesting that they have this family dynamic where they stay with their parents and siblings year after year, so much so that they often take care of each other and help protect siblings' nests. I've never seen anything truly like that in any other bird I've observed.

In my yard in the Maryland suburbs, there is a family of four crows that regularly hangs out. Until I did this lesson, I did not realize that this was actually a family, rather than unrelated members of a larger flock. I did not realize that the young stay with their parents for years, and cooperate in rearing their siblings. I also only recently learned (from All About Birds) that we have 2 species of crow here - American and Fish crow- and that the best way to tell them apart is by their calls. I think I can tell them apart, but I used the Merlin Sound ID app to verify that this family is indeed American. I have heard Fish crows in the neighborhood, as well. I was saddened when the local flocks were decimated by WNV a number of years ago. There used to be very large flocks of many hundreds, that were a joy to watch as they settled down to roost at twilight. (Although I would perhaps have been less delighted if they roosted in my yard) Nowadays I generally don't see flocks of more than a few dozen or a few score.

Make sure there is no standing water for mosquitoes to breed in.

1) A family of crows has lived in our neighborhood for years. One thing I have noticed is their defense of the nest from intruders. 2)I find it amazing that crows live in obvious family groups year after year. 3) In order to decrease the spread of WNV we need to decrease the population of mosquitos by eliminating standing water where possible.

I live in a rural area in Virginia. We had vultures that came in every night to roost in our front woods. They're gone now for the summer. Now, a family of crows has come to live in the trees, and I am so grateful because I want to observe them first-hand while I learn  more about them. My only trouble is, that I can't really tell them apart.

1. I live in Chicago. A few springs ago, there was a huge group of crows (at least 40 birds) that would gather in the large deciduous trees right outside my home. It was a fairly intimidating thing to witness and thoughts of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, came to mind. They would gather late in the afternoon and spend several hours there before moving on, only to return the next day. Now I know there was nothing sinister about this group! 2. Crows are much more intelligent than other birds I have observed around the city. I am certain they recognize me, unlike the morning doves who fly away in fear every morning when I open the door. 3. We can decrease the spread of WNV by decreasing the opportunites for mosquitoes to breed. We can remove anything that collects standing water.

Activity #1 - I've been observing the family of American Crows in my area for several months. However, an added challenge for me is to be especially mindful of gazing at them for too long. My understanding is they find this threatening and I know they're watching me watching them! I caught their attention when they noticed me tossing peanuts to the California Scrub-Jays almost a year ago. They began approaching and watching me intently since summer of last year. Sometimes only the breeding male is visible, sometimes 2 of them, and other times 3 (which might include the female and helper). Once or twice, it's been 4-5. At this time, it's a treat to hear the breeding female's begging calls as we head into their breeding season. Activity #2 - Compared to the California Scrub Jays, the American Crows are understandably more cautious and slow to trust. The scrub jays (the male especially) boldly nab peanuts regardless of how I appear or whatever I'm doing that's out of sync with my normal outdoor activities. However, the crows have been alarmed by phenomena such as the sound of me dropping a hose nozzle on concrete and, another time, by my lower face being covered by a mask on a smoky day. Activity #3 -  Be mindful of, and eliminate, standing water in and around the yard, as this presents good breeding opportunities for mosquitoes. I make sure to vigorously disturb water in our garden ponds and change water in birds baths regularly.

Limit places where mosquitoes want to live.

I have been following the neighborhood crows here for the couple of years I've lived here, and I love when the juveniles start coming out and doing their baby-squawks, and seeing their parents and older siblings feed them! I started tossing them some dehydrated salmon dog treats, too, so they recognize me and come swooping down for a snack if they spot me. I love knowing how similar to us they are in terms of social and familial structures for survival. The allo-preening is so cute, I am going to keep my eye out for that now!

I saw a family of 4 crows taking a stroll around the yard. The adults looked to be enjoying each other’s company, while the youngsters followed behind. One of the young ones stepped on the other one’s foot, and the second youngster fell down.  Then he or she got up, trotted after the group, and stepped on the first youngster’s foot, and that one fell down.  It made me laugh.

We have breeding crows in our neighborhood here in Montana. Then in the winter, we have a large influx of wintering crows that have migrated down from Canada.  They have a huge presence in town here, with groups hanging around in various places, and communal roosts. It seems that your Ithaca studies have been on a resident population of crows.  I am curious about these crows that have migrated here for the winter - are they staying in family groups?  Has anyone researched these migratory populations?  I wonder about what kind of different strategies they have.

I live in central New York. I have been watching out my bedroom window a group of crows. How excited I became when I learned that they are indeed a family. They make me laugh with every observation.

I live in the Central Valley of California. Ravens are much more common in this area. I took this class to learn to distinguish Ravens from Crows.

We have moved to a new house / town.  The property has a huge front yard.  We do not have dogs so a family of crows (5) have taken up residence nearby and come to the front yard every day.  I love seeing them, and miss their calls.  I will take notes and watch them more closely in the coming year.

I live in EU so I can only speak for the crows I know which are the hooded crows (Corvus cornix). I want to report two observations of crows caring for a sick member.

•  I saw an adult hooded crow with a clearly broken wing in a private garden. I came back every day bringing him/her food, and I witnessed more than once another adult crow (at least one, I couldn't say if they were different individuals) that brought him/her food.
• As a wildlife rehabber, I hosted in my garden an adult hooded crow that was raised in captivity and was suffering from severe rickets, thus couldn't fly. A healthy hooded crow, another adult, started to visit my garden on a daily basis, taking advantage of the rich food variety I gave to the ill crow. Week after week they grew close, and they started preening each other and exchanging food. The healthy crow would sleep with the ill one (close to the ground). After a year or so, the ill crow died. It was completely out of the blue and the vet said there were probably congenital cardiac malformations involved. The healthy crow stayed around for a couple of weeks, cawing as for calling her partner, and slept were they used to roost together for many nights. Then, she decided to move on and now I rarely see her around, even though I kept giving her the same food.

I've had a pair coming to the yard for about two years now, once in a while there are three of them up to a high of nine for a few weeks last fall! I wish so much that I knew who they were to each other, though I imagine they are a family group. There has been a lot of very interesting behaviour from them, one usually stands sentry while the other ones eat, and they almost always leave something for the sentry crow to take at the end, which is cool. Last spring they vanished for April and May, I assume for nesting purposes. They returned in June with three babies, which were as big as the adults, but obviously babies from their behaviour. The babies were MUCH braver than my pair, venturing much further into the yard, spending much more time on the ground and hopping around and on everything. I guess since no harm came to them, they are all much braver now and spent a lot more time here. They even will wait in the tree if I'm going out to the feeders instead of flying away. This spring I still see at least one every day, and have seen three here and there, so I'm not sure what that means for nesting. The one in particular is much more comfortable around me. This spring too I have noticed more quarrelling among them, I assume this 'third' crow is the issue. It never seems serious, thankfully, but loud and with some chasing. I'm very interested in see if some babies will make an appearance. The crows are much louder than the other birds, and much more likely to stick around when I'm outside, they also are not at all bothered by our (senior) dog, unlike the other birds, and will still come to eat if he's out in the yard. I absolutely think they know that he is no threat to them. I have a bird bath that I deep clean weekly and change the water in daily in the summer to prevent mosquitoes. I also have started planting flowers that are supposed to deter mosquitoes, I don't know how true that is, but it can't hurt - marigolds, citronella mostly.

I have been observing and feeding a family of 8 crows for 3 years. I notice that every April, they stop visiting daily and come around less often, I’m assuming due to nest building, egg incubation and care of the babies. About 4-6 weeks later, they resume daily food visits, with new fledged baby crows in tow!

1. Some years ago, we had a torrential all-night rain. I went out to my garden the next morning. A pair of  crows were very agitated and the closer I got to my garden, the more frantically they called. I knew there had to be a youngster. Sure enough, I found him on the ground, cold and soaking wet, shivering and weak. I got a box to put him in, dried him off and coaxed some canned dog food into him. My 10 year old son was so excited, having always wanted a pet crow. I told him we could make sure this young one was well and strong enough to be released but he had to be wild and with his family. The next morning, after my son fed his little friend, we went outside. There were two crows calling up in the trees. I thought it could be the parents so my brave son got "his" crow and we let it out on the patio. Immediately, the two other crows flew down to it. There was the most uncanny conversation among the parents and fledgling. Quiet, un-crowlike clucking noises. And off they all went. Our young bird was indeed able to fly; he had only been unable because he was so cold. 2. When I was a  child, a nest of baby robins blew down during a storm. My mother took them in, conscripted us kids into worm-digging, and she fed them every two to three hours until they became a little older. And every day, there was a tapping on the kitchen window by two adult robins. She put the chicks on the lawn and the adults fed them for half an hour or so. This went on for a couple of weeks. So some other birds are as dedicated to their families and have the moxy of crows. 3. Keep the water in your pond moving with pump. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water.

1. Winter 2019, I lived in the second story of a kayak building. Many crows gathered on the balcony. Watching them one day, they would puff u their bodies, huddle close side by side, and droop their bodies over their legs. Couldn't even see their legs. Sometimes they'd regurgitate pellets... some preening.. 2. Way more social amongst one another and other animals. 3. ........plant more citronella?

where can I find a track of the "whining" tune a female crow makes when she is on the nest?

Last fall, there was a dead squirrel, probably roadkill, on the street right outside my house. In the morning, I observed a family of crows (about 5 individuals) feeding on it, and noticed like it was mentioned in this lesson that there was a sentry perched atop a tree right nearby, watching for danger. The family was there for a brief period before the sentry alerted them and all the crows flew away. They did not return to the carcass (I was working from home and observing and had my eye on it for most of the day), but much later in the day around 4-5pm a Turkey Vulture did arrive and finish of most of the carcass.

I have a family of crows that lives on my street. In the summer, they will hop around on the pavement and find bugs, which they will then feed to each other. It is so interesting to watch them feed each other and allopreen!

This applies to the family factor and touches West Nile.  We have a four year old American crow Loki. He was found at about the three week stage on the ground trying to survive. To early to be out of the nest the parents were trying to feed and care for him. Luckily for him he was found and brought to living skies wildlife rehabilitation center. I work with this amazing organization. We assessed his and he had a few things wrong. The worst being West Nile. I poorly set broken leg dehydration as well as very underweight. We managed to actually pull him through all of this. He was a very determined little guy. Point of story. Loki was found in my area of town and that's where we raised him. Occasionally one of his parents or older siblings would leave food by Loki as he played outside. To this day they still show interest in him and this year adopted a fledgling that was orphaned.

 I have been following crows in my backyard in Andover Ma for 5 years. It started with a couple, this year there are 8.  They call me from the tree. Occasionally a hawk will appear and they rally together to shoo him away. I do put food out, in the hopes they will come close, but they are very skittish. 

1 &2.  After taking this class - this summer when i am in our weekend home (where there are very recent population of crows who regularly use my property as a stomping ground) I will watch and observe more diligently.  Since these crows are very new to our home this past summer - i have been struck more by their comings and goings. What I have seen is that crows seem to be - for lack of better words - organized.  They move with purpose, they communicate quite often and seem to have a regular and purposeful set of activities which they engage in.  Almost a schedule.  For instance - there is lawn time for insect eating, there is the large half dead tree time, there is sit on the dock time - I have no idea what they are doing at the crack of dawn but it is quite loud.  I think their communication is quite remarkable because even now i pay attention when i hear them making a fuss to see what is happening!  I can’t wait for summer to see them in action - with more information under my belt to make meaningful observations. 3.  Clearing out and dispersing any areas of standing water is the best mosquito prevention i know of.  

I've been watching and feeding crows un Rockport MA  since the big snow of ?7years ago; I had to crawl out over a snow bank to give them bread that I made into balls in my fist. In the spring I noticed they soaked their bread in the bird bath -- and experimented with a crab shell that just turned putrid so they did not try that again. I was interested because a neighbor over the hill -- not far "as the crow flies" -- had raised an injured crow on bread soaked in water and let him/her loose .. I wondered if he/she taught the behavior to offspring. Our little group have continued to do that ever since. We variably see 2, then 2+3/4 or as many as 7 as the summer goes on -- this year siblings noticeably supported a weak nestling as it negotiated branches. They share food by placing a sentinel that calls to the others to join the feast. They know my call when I feed them, recognize me when I walk around the garden (by demanding more food) and I even think they know my car ... Recently a small crow has appeared intimidated by a handsome large one, but follows him/her deferentially to share food --are they going to pair off?

I walk my dogs almost daily in a park near my house.  For two years there was a crow that was clearly sick or disabled in some way, as I never saw it fly and it was missing feathers.  When ever I saw him/her while I was walking with my dogs the others crows would fly over and protect the one crow and usher it away from us.  I was always busy keeping my dogs away  from them so did not study it as much as I wished I had.  I was amazed that it was able to live so long with what ever issues it had, but clearly its family protected it.

1. There is a family of crows that often hang out in my neighborhood. There are probably around 9 individuals. I usually see them foraging together in the road, and they are quite loud and excitable. Other times I will observe 1 or 2 of them watching me in the garden, and they will be very quiet, they will then fly away as if to report to the others. 2. They are so smart and social. I once saw 3 crows playing with a dead rat in town. One would fly up high with the rat, drop it, and then another would swoop in, catch it and fly up. Most birds I observe seem to either be looking for food, staking territory, or wooing a mate. Crows, ravens and other corvids really seem to value doing things just for the sheer fun of it. 3. We can take steps to make sure there is no standing water in our yards, as well as other measures to decrease mosquito populations.

After this lesson, I am going to actively look in my neighborhood for a family of crows. (Also, I am delighted to have a new word in my vocabulary: allopreening!)

1.  There is a family of  about seven crows that lives behind my yard in the wooded area.  They often fly and forage for food together and rest on our trees.  I notice a lot of cawing between these crows - and the cawing takes on a rhythmic pulse which seems to be a form of communication, much like Morse code.  Next, other crows respond in the same rhythm and then will take an action, such as fly to a meeting place.  I have never seen any other birds communicate in such a fashion. 2.  Other birds do not communicate the way crows do with rhythmic sounds that mean something.  I do see other species of birds in flocks or with mates, however, but they don't seem to have as much of a personal interaction in the same way crows do. 3.  We can keep down the mosquito population by making sure we eliminate areas of standing water on our properties whenever possible.  Mosquitoes breed in standing water.

A California Mockingbird dive bombing a crow who was too close to the nest. (Sacramento CA)

Greetings, everyone! This was a wonderful segment, thank you. Crow behavior:  I haven't had a chance lately to watch crows, but spring/summer 2019 I watched a family forage outside a window at my parents' place, which was kind of a hilly strip of land shaded by redwood and pepper trees (this is on the west coast).  I put out some food (sorry, I know now not great choices, but could have been worse) like almonds, granola, oats, maybe some strips of turkey coldcuts.  It was a family with relentlessly begging kiddies. One bird usually came and perched on a tree overlooking the area where I laid out the treats, and it scouted out the area; then after a while, the group would arrive.  Then one would sit up the hillside as sentry.  The adult birds really did look harried.  The almonds were not edible for them as whole almonds; I found some spewed back up.  But the birds did like almonds and started to hold them down with a foot and peck vigorously at them, eating the shards. Sometimes only one bird would arrive and pick up something and fly away with it.  I don't know if this bird was in the same family as the birds who came in a group. I remember WNV well.  I live on the east coast in a big city.  There used to be crow calls and I would see crows in the area, and then all of a sudden, there weren't.  I was very sad about this.  Only now (2020) am I starting to hear a few.  Whenever I see standing water, I get sad, because standing water supports mosquito population growth, and mosquitoes are how WNV gets around.  I will never qualify as a buddhist, because I do not refrain from killing mosquitoes at every opportunity.  The best way to curb this disease, and as a side benefit, diseases like Zika and anything else that goes around by mozzie, is to remove mozzie habitat.  Not easy in this part of the country.  

1. This is the coolest thing I'll probably learn from this lecture--that crow families are tight. Some time ago, we had what must have been a family of 4 with us for several years. Ultimately they disappeared, and we didn't see nearly as many crows for a while. Just this year a family of six showed up: They have been with us all summer. May they remain with us!

I've watched a family of crows forage with lookouts warning those on the ground.  I've also noticed smaller birds diving at crows in the air when the crows are close to their nests.  Crows seem to be louder and in larger groups than other birds. Bat boxes might be a good way to decrease the mosquito problem.

I have been watching smaller birds in my backyard pretty closely, the crows less so.  However, what is clear is they are the organizing watch out force.    I've seen the nest in a tall fir on my property.    Will study. more. Good point in comments to keep the bird bath clean.  I wipe it with a paper towel before adding new water.

QUESTION - How is everyone feeding crows, without also attracting rats, or (more benign but unwelcome by me) wild turkeys??? I have only recently, very conservatively, resumed feeding birds in a couple of feeders right at the very back edge of my samll property, close to a woodsy patch. I LOVE the way the feeders attract birds, but after having had an issue rodent two years ago (and a known problem in our county) I am nervous about doing more.  Would love any advice! Meanwhile, there are times of lots of crows in our neighborhood and I look forward to their return for more observation. Right now, I more often just see one or two gingerly mixing with the shore birds at the beach. I am glad to know of their family associations to to view them with a new perspective.

2. Crows  don't really compare with other any other birds I've seen except parrots. Parrots have close family ties and are very intelligent

I have two crows that visit my house every morning, and I often see them allopreening. Does this mean they are most likely siblings? Or do mated crows do this as well?

4. Bat boxes are very good. Bats eat mosquitoes. Thus, less mosquitoes, less bites... less bites, less infected prey... less infected prey, less sick crows... Less sick crows, happy crow lovers... more crows, better life!(;

A family of crows were foraging in our rural upstate NY (southern tier) yard one afternoon when a red tail hawk swooped in and pinned one of them to the ground.  The others immediately when into a crazed cawing fit, flying at the hawk, circling and swooping down at it.  Soon several more crows flew in from the neighbors property up the hill.  They all work together to harass this hawk and it finally flew away with a few crows chasing it.  The attacked crow stood up after resting a few minutes.  It seemed to be uninjured except for a couple wing feathers that were bent and hung down dragging on the ground.  We could easily identify the lucky crow the rest of that year, we named him funny feather.

1. This is my 11th winter feeding a family of Crows, a mom and day I presume. They have had three offspring a year, except for last year. From their behavior and our weather I think it is safe to assume they tried 2 separate hatchings that they lost to extremely cold late in the season temperatures. I hope this spring they are successful again. their offspring typically leave in November. 2. My two trick a Seagull when taking the food I give to cache. This silly Seagull has been around for a year. They also protect their territory from other families and types of birds. 3. I vaccinate my horses against WNV annually and dump all items with standing water to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. In Maine we typically see WNV deaths in mid-August. I pray every year my Crow family survives.

Last Spring I started feeding two crows. I assumed they were a male and a female because sometimes one deferred to the other. Then, for a time, one was normally gone. There was extra food that they did not eat so they took it away, presumably to cache it. By summer I saw the two adults come to feed, at their regular time, with three juveniles. They showed them where the food was, left and now I rarely see them. However, the three young crows come everyday at the same time and sit and wait patiently and quietly for their food. They are very emotionally needy and want to be fed several times a day but I will only feed once. They never caw but one quietly clucks to get my attention. If the other two are not right there he will caw to tell them I have finally put the food out. Sometimes, but rarely, the parents will come back for food but they usually just let the young ones have it even though there is extra.

As I have always been fascinated by crows when I moved into my home about a year ago, I noticed many crows in the neighborhood. It was only a month after moving into our place that a bald eagle flew low overhead and my husband and I were outside. Of course all the nearby crows surrounded our yard and began to caw and drive away the eagle. During this episode a fledgling fell out of a tree in our yard! Honestly, even though I loved crows at this time I had no idea what fledglings looked like, and we thought the eagle injured this bird when they were trying to drive him away from their territory. We called the local Fish & Wildlife phone number and they told us to take him to a local organization that specializes in helping injured animals. We did so, only to discover it was a very healthy fledgling! While we were relieved, we were also sad that we had taken a healthy bird away from the nest site and hoped the parents would take the baby back. We released him in our backyard where the nest site was and watched him hop around. You could tell this little bird was on the verge of flying because they kept trying to do so and was a pretty decent size. The next day, I went into my backyard to make sure no predators had gotten to them and all of the family members cawed from the treetops as I went further into our yard. I realized the chances were their little fledgling was probably on the ground and why they were cawing at me more harshly than usual. So, I went back inside. After the incident above, I started to research crows and other birds more over time. Also, I began to feed the crows around my house and noticed them coming back every single day. It's been a year and this crow family is still living in my yard and surrounding yards. They regularly forage in my yard and neighbors, and it is amazing how they seem to stick together as a family unit. The crows will drive off new crows and seem very territorial. They definitely rely on look-outs while the other ones feed on the ground. This last spring they welcomed a new fledgling into their family and it was truly fascinating to see the shift in family dynamics and the new birds first week of flying. During fledgling season I noticed how quiet the crows become, they are so protective I noticed! Compared to crows I see the little birds travel in larger groups than crows. They feed differently and are much quieter. I am interested to find out more information how other birds do their daily tasks. Another thing I notice is if a crow needs help, the other local crows show up.

I feed crows mornings in my back yard.  If I’m late they gather on the roof and call until I come out with peanuts and kibbles.  One crow sits on top of the bird feeder post and observes.  Since I started this coarse I found a nest in a tall river birch in our yard.  At first they would only come for food if I went inside but now they come if I’m sitting or walking around.  I talk to them when I put the food out so they become familiar with my voice.  Yesterday they drove off two hawks. If I put out stale bread they take it to the nearby pond and soften it up

I admit I never really observed crows as described in the lesson.  But they are interesting to watch even in brief encounters.  They are truly the neighborhood watch group!  I have seen individual birds perch in a tree and "send the word out" to whoever can listen; also badger a perceived threat, like a hawk or an owl.  I always got a kick out of the fact that a few crows would gather out front on Tuesdays...garbage day!  They were persistent and couldn't really be shooed away.  They'd cross to the other side of the street in a very unassuming way , only to come back to the garbage side when we'd go back inside!  What personalities!

#1  In the years I spent with a family of crows, I would regularly observe them hunting cooperatively for food.  One or two crows might be perched along a street, and if they spotted a meal (french fries, road-squirrel etc) one crow would call out to notify the family.  As the others gathered, the crows would take turns; one or two will stay in an elevated observer position, and let out warning noises if they saw oncoming traffic, pedestrians, prowling cats or the like.

1. When I watched my local crow family for several years, it became easier to learn to recognize individuals by their behaviour. I had one adult who loved a game where I tossed a peanut ( in the shell ) up on my sloped house roof and he/she would land on the roof and try to run down and catch it before it rolled off the edge and dropped. When I've see other adult birds bring young to my feeder, the youngsters usually just sit and maybe start begging when adults approach. Young crows, on the other hand, are always active - picking up sticks and other objects and exploring everything. As far as helping decrease spread of WNV and other diseases, feeders and bird baths should be kept extremely clean. If you find a sick or badly injured bird, either get a licensed rehabber to come get it or wearing gloves, get it into a carrier and transport it to rehabber. gloves should be discarded and carriers disinfected, towels even thrown out and hose off area where bird was found.

I'm fascinated by crows here in NYC, where I can't watch ravens (yet!). I spend part of the year in Iceland where I've been observing a pair of urban ravens since 2013.  I have followed them various years at different times of the year but always in the nesting season where they go through a lot of difficulties as their first nest is often destroyed by irritated janitors or landlords. Icelanders either love or hate ravens. But this pair has rebuilt and successfully raised young a second time - even when they were brooding and the eggs of the first nest were trashed. This year they rebuilt near the Parliament building, and their young are just fledging now, a good month after the other Icelandic ravens. This was  off topic; re: crows - I'm hungry for info on corvid behaviour - I notice that crows here in NYC and MA- I don't yet have a family to watch - are in a much larger groups than the raven pairs, who chase their young off approx. 2 months after fledging.

I fed crows for 4 years before I moved to another area.  It started with just a family. I noticed the one I called the watcher who would let everyone know when I put out peanuts .  The watcher also stood guard while they ate.  This family would take turns eating the peanuts.  I also noticed grooming of each other.  They would sit on the telephone wires and groom themselves or a pair would groom each other.  During the fall and winter when crows aren't as territorial and join together in larger social groups I would go out in the morning to as many as 40 crows waiting for food.  It always amazed me that they were so territorial when bringing up their families and yet so social at other  times.

I observe two separate groups of crows; one very local, so a family that comes to my balcony for food which I put out every other day.  Also, a larger group... probably several families or extended families that I see (and feed) once a week at a cemetery about a block from where I live. In both cases things are not very flexible in relation to territories during nesting season. In this case if someone even from across the street from the crow territory I'm in comes over to get some food, they are chased away, or in some cases pinned to the ground and given a good beak poking. No fooling around at this time of year. Once the babies are out and about, everything starts to relax again and territories become flexible. There's much more calling out (that there's food available) to neighbouring crows and a much larger group can show up and are tolerated. Very little in the way of disputes then. Seagulls show up as well for the food I have, but like crows going out of territory, are not tolerated by crows during nesting season. Of course not as many seagulls show up then anyway as they are all at their own nests not in the same area. Any single seagull that dares shows up during nesting season is harassed by crows. During any other time of year the crows tolerate the seagulls  and both groups seem to co-exist happily. I would say the crows defer a little to seagulls when it comes to a specific bit of food (because of size difference I assume). Sometimes a raven or two shows up as well (usually not during nesting season). Regardless, the crows are never happy to see them. If a raven lands I try to give him some food too but find they approach in a much more cautious manner, inching their way over, much more careful than any crow or seagull... probably because they are always outnumbered by these other two groups. The ravens sometimes pull the tails of the seagulls when there's a dispute over food, or just poke them with their beak if they think the seagulls are getting too brazen. In general it's mayhem when ravens show up. Both crows and seagulls immediately leave the ground. Crows normally fly into nearby trees and sit and wait and watch, very quietly, with the exception of a couple of crows that have chosen to harass the raven(s). The seagulls don't land in trees of course, so fly around a bit then land again, ravens or not.. then some conflict happens.

One crow discovered my seed dish, and after several days more began to show up. So far, I haven't seen more than five at a time. They may all be one family. Today a young one was there, begging to be fed, its caw sounding more like a honk. I've also heard crows make a surprising noise like a sort of clink, very un-caw-like.

I boiled eggs and put out peanuts everyday for months for a crow family living in the forest behind my house. not sure if they were the same family I did this for last year (?). they would watch my bedroom window and when I opened the blinds in the morning they would start calling to each other and maybe to me too! there was always throughout everyday one that was 'the sentinel' and sometimes he would come to get food or sometimes he and what I think was the father - much larger. I named the dad Carlos. So the two of them would come morning & afternoon for food. After several weeks/months one day there were 3 and I assumed this was the mother. the following week four came - one was the new baby and begging for food. They stayed in my small fenced in yard for several minutes looking at me and cawing. that was the last I saw them. I liked to think they brought the new bird to see me before they headed somewhere else and it was as though they came to say goodbye! I was so excited to see the new bird but I miss them!

1.  Family of three feeding on lawn, two of which were walking side by side for the several minutes on the grass much like a human couple would. 2.  The crows interact closely as a family unit whereas other birds as mating couples. 3.  Create and maintain diverse eco-landscapes on own's homestead.  Eliminate areas of standing water which is not a problem where I live on the mountain where rain percolates very quickly into the ground.

My favorite thing that the family in my yard does is when they bring the fledglings into my yard for food. I love seeing the young crows, and I love watching them loudly beg their parents for peanuts. I also like it when the fledglings hang around in my yard. Two years ago there were two that were especially curious and would watch me whenever I was in the yard. They were talkative and so funny. I loved having them around.  Sometimes the fledglings resist opening the peanuts by themselves and look like they get frustrated and annoyed; they keep up that loud aaaaa aaaaa aaaaa call until the parents or siblings open a shell for them and feed them. Honestly, the west Nile business terrifies me. There was such a scare about it a few years ago here (in New Orleans). It’s heartbreaking, and I’m sorry for anyone who was observing birds who died from it.

Wear bug spray - West Nile is no joke!

To help slow the spread of West Nile Virus, eliminate mosquito breeding habitats; containers left outside neglected that collect water.  I don't own a pond but I think there are things that can be added to the water to discourage mosquito breeding, don't know how safe these things are.  Also creating a dragonfly habitat, dragonflies eat mosquitoes like I go through popcorn!

Re #2 - Crows make so many different sounds!

I "think" (since I don't have the ability to tag) that I have had a pair who had two babies who are currently regular visitors. There was a new baby this year. I remember when the two babies were young and hung out in the back yard. You could see their cute young bird head shapes and watch their their games. One would carry sticks around in a way that made me think that she was "playing house." The chickadees and oak titmice that come bring their babies, looking sleek and plump while the parents look bedraggled, but they became a pair again soon after.

When I put out food, the new kids often come first. They will pick up the food and wait for the parents. When they show up the parent takes it.  The kid the goes into the feed me posture and call, then the parent feeds back to them.