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.