1. To my neighbour, I would say that statistically-speaking Snakes and Squirrels kill way more baby birds than Crows. Crows kill a very small number of baby birds; around the same amount as a Deer would.

2. I see Crows everywhere. I could locate at least one nest: there is one in a forked tree by the river near my house that a Great Horned Owlet was living in last spring.

3. There are not Ravens around where I live now (south western Ontario) but when I lived in BC--especially on the souther west coast - Vancouver - there were lots of Crows down in the city. Ravens live up in the mountains, in the alpine. Ravens are way bigger and they have amazing vocalizations (so do Crows but the Ravens talking is so interesting). The Ravens up in the mountains will sometimes take small morsels of food from my hand. Crows will dive bomb Eagles and also will harass Raccoons or Owls in trees.

4. Owls benefit from having Crows around because GH Owls don't build their own nests but rather nest in abandoned Crow nests. Animals - mammals and birds - can benefit from having Crows around because Crows also provide warning calls letting animals know there are predators around.

1.) I would inform them that in our neck of the woods, squirrels and chipmunks are the main predators of baby birds.

2.) There is a murder of Crows who spend their days in my little town. They have three areas where they mainly hang out. I'm not sure where they nest. I think they roost in the more wild areas outside of town, but I'm not 100% sure about that. I don't know if they nest where they roost. This summer I was in my backyard after dark and I did hear a single Crow close by cawing a lot, which made me wonder if it had a nest nearby.

3.) I do live in an area with both species. The crows are much more communal and often seen in groups. The Ravens are often alone or with their mate. The Ravens are much more shy and don't hang out in the town as much, but when they do, they hang out with the Crows. I have gotten pretty proficient at telling them apart. The Ravens have slower wing beats and they seem to ride the thermals more than Crows.

4.) Songbirds benefit from having Crows around because they warn when hawks are nearby. Because they flock to food sources, they seem to be a good identifier of where food is for other birds. In my neighborhood this is especially true for other Corvids such as Steller's Jays and Black-billed Magpies.

Snakes and chipmunks eat many more baby birds than crows do.

I've never seen a crow's nest, but I'm going to start looking.

Crows are always talking/communicating.

They definitely warn the birds and squirrels when a hawk is nearby.

1. I would tell them that in the southwest, where I live, the main predators of baby song birds are snakes and squirrels.

2. I see crows every day. I have watched them carry sticks and grasses to a particular palm tree so that would be where I think their nest is.

3. I live in an area where both the American Crow and the Common Raven are. The crows are at my house and in my neighborhood. I have only seen ravens when I'm on a hike away from homes.

4. I think the song birds in my area benefit somewhat from the crows because they warn of a nearby predator.

1. I would say that the main predators of songbirds are snakes and squirrels. Although they have been known to predate on young songbirds, it is about as rare as white tailed deer predating on them.

2. I see crows all over my neighborhood. On my morning walking route, I've noticed two distinct groups in the area and they will not cross into each other's territory. I have seen a couple of crow nests in my area in the later summer after they've been used.

3. I live in an area where I see both crows and ravens almost daily. The crows travel in larger groups and the ravens I've seen are just a pair. The ravens seem to be more shy than the crows. Their vocalizations are definitely different and the ravens are much bigger.

4. I believe that the band tailed pigeons, other birds, and squirrels in my area use crow calls to sense danger. The crows will harass or mob the owls and hawks in the area. I think the small songbirds, squirrels, and other prey animals for the raptors and owls benefit from this. Also, although they could be competitive for carrion, I've seen the crows and a turkey vulture eat together peacefully after another predator left a partial deer carcass nearby.

I have personally benefitted from the crows as they made such a ruckus when I was out walking on the trail near my place. It sounded like they were really upset about something and I assumed it was a hawk or other predator. It spooked me so I turned around and started walking home. I learned the next day that a mother mountain lion with 2 little ones was spotted on the same trail.

2.  We have lots of crows in the neighborhood.  Interestingly there used to be pigeons where I live, in Coronado, in Southern CA, but about 20 years ago the pigeons moved out and crows moved in.  There may be ravens too, but up until now I did not know enough to be able to tell them apart.
A few years ago when I learned how smart crows are, I decided to get peanuts in the shell, and carry them with me to give them, and see if they recognized me.  It was out of the park successful.  It took them a week or two, but then it was a sure thing.  I started to wear a hat, and they still recognized me.  During COVID, I started wearing a mask, and they still knew me.  They know my car, and will follow my car a block or two.  If I forget to bring food, I have had small groups of crows flying around me for blocks.  There is one particular, very smart, very confident crow--one I  have known for at least three years--who does not jump away at all while I rummage around for peanuts or when I toss them to him; he just waits quietly.  I can get within two feet of him while he waits.  One time I was out of peanuts, and he followed me, walking, for three or four blocks, until I guess he was quite sure I had nothing to give him.

4. The crows and mockingbirds don't like each other, but both of them are wary of hawks.  So crows can drive away hawks for the mockingbirds (and vice versa).   Crows could also benefit any other animals that are preyed on by owls, because they will band together to drive an owl away.  Though of course most of the animals that are preyed on by owls are ones we would consider pests: rats, mice, and so forth.  But maybe small birds too.

I have to say that one of my favorite things about crows is the way they walk, swishing their tails back and forth with each step.  That they walk rather than fly when they are going short distances is so cute to me.  Such panache.

1. It’s most likely the squirrels that are invading the songbird nests.  Evidence suggests that crows are not the primary predator.

2. The Douglas Fir behind my home has been the nesting site for many generations of a crow family.  The nest is 3/4 up in the tree’s canopy- difficult to spot from the ground. All members contribute to raising the chicks.
3. I do live in the overlapping range but in an urban environment.  Ravens are rarely seen.  I have heard their low pitch call at times but only when the crows are not in residence.
4. We also have urban hawks, eagles and coyotes in this neighborhood.  The crows are always the first to know and call an alert.  Being urban, squirrels and rats are a problem.  I have seen crows harass the squirrels-even lore them into traffic for a fresh roadkill meal.

1. Crows rarely prey on small songbirds. The biggest predator of small songbirds are snakes in the south and squirrels in the north.

2. We have some that nest in a large spruce tree across the street from us.

3. I live in the southern half of Minnesota. When we go up to northern Minnesota, that is where we most frequently spot ravens. That is not to say however, that we never have ravens in my area, it's just not common. Crows tend to gather on large groups where ravens travel most typically in pairs or smaller groups. Raven calls are unique from crows. Ravens are larger and I think the easiest way to ID in flight is if you hear them call, or look at the tail shape. Also, large groups (murder of crows), or pairs or small groups.

4. Like bluejays, they alarm other birds of danger in the area. They are also essential as the clean up crews for dead animals and other waste.

1. I would tell them that squirrels and snakes are the main baby bird predators!

2.I've seen many crows right here in our yard! In fact I feed them peanuts when they come and ask on our deck.

3. I live outside of a small town on Lake Ontario in Ontario,  Canada. There are lots of American crows but we do get some ravens as well, particularly 15 minutes north in the forests where I hike. I can tell the difference in the forest mainly by the sounds they make. The ravens are more elusive than crows and when I see them they are solitary.

Q4. *I* benefit from having crows around. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there is a crow distribution system. I currently have a pair and their young adult child assigned to me. If the “crow alarm” goes off, I know something is wrong. (Or that the neighbor cat is here.) Someone other than the mail carrier near the mailbox? Crow alarm. Raccoon near the trash cans? Crow alarm. I reward in cashews, they thank in rubber bands. (Why not jewelry or money??) Love the purring noise they make when content.

I’ve lived in a farming area for a long time and farmers really hated crows. They blamed them for many naughty activities and would kill a crow and hang its dead body on a fence hoping to deter other crows. Never knew if that was a successful deterrence but I wish I’d had this course at that time. I would have found a way to share to that great pie chart of predators with the neighbor - warning him/her of the naughty chipmunks instead!

1. It totally makes sense to feel protective of the baby songbirds! Studies show that the biggest threat is actually snakes and squirrels, and that crows are pretty low on the list of predators. Do you notice snakes or squirrels in your yard?

4. Horned owls and Merlins! They get to use the nests of crows since they don't build their own.

1. I would tell them that unless they have seen them in action, it might be another animal that did it. We once had a squirrel who attacked and killed a song sparrow in a bird feeder. Many animals do so.

2. I have a family living either in my backyard or close by. They are most often 3 and hang out around the house. They alert the ducks near the river when the bald eagle is there. I have not seen nests but many juveniles.

3. We have both ravens and crows around, and they don't like each other. Most of the time, when we see ravens outside the woods, they are being chased and bullied by a group of crows.

4. Every bird around the river in our backyard seems to benefit from the bald eagle alert. Blue jays, woodpeckers, mallard ducks and maybe even the groundhog.

1. It is a gruesome thing to see. But it is not just crows after the baby birds, but snakes, ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and even ants in Southern California where I live. Fortunately, baby birds are not commonly on the menu and there are lots of other things they eat.

2. I occasionally see fledglings on the ground and in trees, but have never actually seen a nest.

3. Both crows and ravens are commonly seen in Southern California. I have counted hundreds and thousands of crows flying to their evening roosts. I distinguish between crows and ravens by size and throat feathers when they are on the ground, by flight patterns (crows streaming to roost vs. ravens riding thermals), by size of groups (hundreds of crows vs. tens of ravens) on ground or in the air. And I think the bill shape has become more important to me, especially after visiting Japan this spring and having to distinguish between Carrion Crows and Large-billed Crows (aka Jungle Crows). Large-billed Crows became my “ravens” as they are bigger and have curved dagger-like bills. I focused on the bills for i.d.

4. Crows make a mess when they are around park trash cans, so squirrels scavenge the leftovers and vice-versa. And sometimes crows are food for raptors. That is why you see them dive-bombing perched Red-tailed Hawks and trying to drive them away. Pretty gutsy for prey to do that.

Did you know a crow would fight a red tailed hawk?  I saw this crow drive a hawk away from it's nesting area I. The spring!

I would explain to my neighbour that crows actually are not the main predator of baby birds, chipmunks and squirrels are!  Also, crow ear many mice and insect pests, so are actually very beneficial!

1. I would say that data proves that crows almost never do this, and it would most likely be snakes or squirrels, depending on the climate.

2. I have seen many crows at the school across the street from me, scavenging. I was not able to find any crow nests.

3. I believe I do live where there are both species, although it is hard to tell. Yes. I notice crows flying in murders, or a large group, while ravens flying in pairs of two, or sometimes solo. I also can tell if their tail in in a fan or diamond shape.

4. I believe animals such as lizards might benefit, because the crows help there become a stable bird population, which would cause reptiles and insects to be safe.

1) These neighbors that blame the crow for killing the song birds nestlings have such a skewed view. I wasn't even thinking about that. But at the very bottom of it it's nature. But not chipmunks!!! I live in south florida and don't have chipmunks but whenever i go north and see them they are the cutest things! They are still cute but now i'll see them as killers as well.

2) I have been up to Alaska and definitely seen a raven. I even bought a shirt that had a raven on it because at that time i'd never seen a black bird that big before just standing in a parking lot. I see crows frequently in southwest florida and i always think they look so big too compared to other local birds.

3) I only have crows in florida but i also have fish crows and boat tailed grackles and sometimes it's hard to distinguish at a passing glance. I need extra practice with their sounds as well.

1. I would say that chipmunks are the real killers. But seriously, that pie chart was fascinating. I'd be happy to report that the bigger threats to eggs are snakes in the south, and squirrels and chipmunks in the north, and crows are much less frequent predators.

2. I see crows in NYC at our parks, in parking lots, and on my street. I normally see them high up, not as much on the ground. I've never observed a nest, I wonder if there are specific parks where people see them nesting, will have to ask around!

3. I have yet to see a raven in NYC, but I have friends who have seen them flying high up. Great to be in an area where we can see both, though I wish we did more often.

4. I think smaller birds and squirrels would benefit as crows loudly alert when bigger predators are near, like hawks. And they often try to mob them and chase them off!

I live in Maryland near I-95 and I don't believe I have ever seen a raven around here, other than at the NFL stadium :)

There are tons of crows, though.

Last summer, we had two young red-tailed hawks in the area and watched the crows mob both of them for over an hour. Very interesting, and very loud!

1. I would share the fascinating data that crows appear to be quite low on the list of nest predators.

2. I live in American crow (formerly northwestern crow) territory and have seen them here and on the west coast. I've stumbled onto several coastal crow nesting areas and hope one day to monitor them through a nesting season.

3. Yes, Southeast Alaska is home to an abundance of both species, so I have lots of practice differentiating between them. One difference that is often apparent is the greater sociability of crows.

#1.  I would say although they can from time to time eat baby birds it is not their main diet.    They are opportunistic and will eat baby birds you should be more concerned with squirrels, chipmunks and or snakes depending on where you live.

#2.  I have seen crows many times, however I have never observed a nest.   I will be on the look out in the future.   Like mentioned they are a hard bird to see stationary and to me always seem to have a sentry out to alert the others someone is coming.   I mostly see they flying.

#3.  We have both in New Jersey.  For me I can easily differentiate between the crow, fish crow, and Raven by sound.   Also, by size if they are close enough.   But as mentioned by shape of bill, tail and wings is also a great indicator.

#4.  Most animals like smaller birds, deer, and squirrels could benefit because they will most of the time let you know when danger is around.  Blue Jays are the other birds that will let you know very loud when there is danger.

1. I was shocked to learn how little crows actually consume baby birds, especially when compared to other animals.

2. I live in Manhattan, and often see crows in the parks, particularly the parks that are along the Hudson River - although some of the ones I commonly see by the water are fish crows.

3. I have spent my life in FL and NYC, so I don’t commonly see ravens. Although during trips out west, I am always amazed by the size of ravens. Their rounded bills are also a big indication between the two birds.

4. We greatly benefit from the way crows maintain the rodent population. Owls also benefit from the use of crow’s nests.

1) show them the included chart with this course and explain how whether it is crows or other animals, this is simply nature taking its course

2) I’ve spent most of my life in either Appalachia or the Southeast and crows have always been an exciting sight whether at lakes, mountains, or forests. I do not believe I have ever spotted a nest.

3) I only live in the range of crows presently, but living in Appalachia the rare raven sighting was always something exciting to witness!

4) other foragers and scavengers that pick up after the possible messes a crow might make