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

I live in Southern California where we have both.  Aside from appearance my number one way to tell them apart are numbers.  Crows are usually in a murder and ravens are usually just with a partner.  Although sometimes after fledging I see a family of ravens practicing soaring.  I’ve also noticed that I see ravens in every national park I visit, from the forest to the coast to the desert.

1. In my case I would tell my neighbor that her cat kills more songbirds than crows and see where the conversation goes from there.

2. I see crows on a daily basis near my residence. I live in the path of their daily movements to their roosting spots. Sometimes they land in the trees and nearby buildings gathering in large numbers while vocalizing. It's an amazing experience.

3. I live in an area where both crows and ravens are present. I find more ravens in the mountains than down in the lowlands. They are quite distinguishable by their calls and size.

4. Owls benefit from crows by using their nests since owls do not build nests.

Ive had a life long interest in crows and ravens. I have your book, "In the Company of Crows and Ravens". When I walk my dogs, or go to a public garden or Arboretum I always bring a satchel of raw peanuts in the shell. In my neighborhood they recognize me and fly over to perch on a fence of tree and await their treats. I Love 'em!

1.  My husband caught a possum in a box trap in our backyard.  Three crows gathered on our back fence to taunt the poor creature.  They also hold their morning meetings in our pecan tree.  I love them.

3.  We do not live where there are both species, but our son does.  We've used INaturalist and Merlin to identify both species in the state park that's close to where he lives.

 

 

1. I would remind them that crows are themselves songbirds, and that songbird nestlings and fledglings (including those of crows) are susceptible to predation by many different species, crows being one of the least frequent, while squirrels (in our neck of the woods) are the most common offenders.  I would also try to get them interested in the cleverness of crows, tell them the stories about crows who bring gifts, crows who can mimic human speech, etc.

2. Here in Queens, NY, we have crows, but definitely not as many as I see in Los Angeles.  They mostly fly over our neighborhood (I think this is pigeon territory and it seems they might not be crazy about corvid visitors).  I've seen them in and around the parks (when I see them on the ground)- Corona Flushing Meadows, Kissena, and Forest Parks.  I've seen them more commonly further east in Brooklyn.  Twice, a crow visited my fire escape and took food from my hand- out of the blue.  I figured it may have been rehabilitated by the Wild Bird Fund or a similar situation, and learned people can equal food.  I know that some of the crows that I see are fish and not American crows.  I've looked but never been able to find a nest.

3. I have also seen ravens here.  Only ever one at a time, never a unkindness, whereas I see murders of crows regularly, albeit small.  The sounds are really unmistakable.  You may hear a crow and think, is that a crow or a raven?  But I find I never wonder if a raven call is a crow.  I haven't had a lot of chances to observe raven behavior, as they tend to be hounded even more than the crows by other birds, including crows.  Twice I've seen a small group of crows harassing a treed raven.  I've also seen blue jays and pigeons giving them a hard time.

4. I suppose any nest predator may benefit from having crows around.  A bobcat or coyote may be able to catch and kill an adult crow.  A crow may figure out how to get into a garbage can or dumpster, making the contents more accessible.

I've had the good fortune to watch crows work through 'problems' in their day to day existence.  My lunch breaks were often taken at a park that bordered a walnut orchard.  Near harvest time, I'd be greatly entertained by the crows as they'd pick up a walnut from the ground, fly up higher than the tree tops, then drop the nut on the pavement.  The bird would swoop down to retrieve the nut, and if the shell had not sufficiently cracked, it would fly straight up and repeat the process.   Often, the crow would then treat itself to the meal of fresh walnut meat, but sometimes it would take it to a grassy spot and bury the walnut to be retrieved later.  I never tired of watching them.

#3 - There's two of us doing this course together - me (Katie) and my partner Josh. We currently live in a place with both species in coastal British Columbia and love watching these funny creatures. We both grew up in Ontario near the edge of the raven's range, which is interesting because neither of us really remember seeing ravens. Josh's gut feeling was, "of course I've seen ravens" but he's wondering now if the black birds he was seeing growing up were mostly (exclusively?) crows.

1. I never knew that Crows would eat other birds, but if I did hear of someone complaining about the crow raiding a songbird nest, I can now correct them with some interesting facts about those adorable chipmunks and squirrels!

2. All over my neighborhood in Toluca Lake, CA and where I work as a teacher in Burbank, CA. Our science teacher tosses out peanuts every day for the crows who visit our high school campus, and I occasionally toss out some of my own. I have also installed a finch feeder recently near my door.

3. I do live where there are both. Before this course, I identified them only by size and that bigger bill on the raven.

The raven seems more solitary.

4. Controlling insects and alerting other birds to predators with their calls. I know they also call attention to carrion...sharing in the meal with other animals.

#1:    I’d say, “It’s a bird-eat-bird world out there!”   While nature accounts for this with its own checks and balances, I suppose it is possible that an abundance of any kind of predator could cause a population problem.  This is why data is collected and monitored for possible imbalances resulting in the decline in population of any species.   And if it isn’t a direct predator, its  decline may be due to human activity causing primary and even  secondary  unforeseen issues.  It’s complex.  So don’t blame the crows.  They are just doing what they have always done.

1. I recently took an opportunity to correct someone who assigned disproportionate blame for the taking and killing of songbirds. Since quite a few people I've encountered, including the person I corrected, are enamored with squirrels, I had to let her down gently about how much squirrels are really responsible for. It seems squirrels are often given a "free pass" because people find them cute. And I've encountered a seemingly common tendency, among people, to expect you to share their likes and dislikes, so I was careful in breaking the bad news.

2. I've seen crows in my neighborhood (as they know I'm the "peanut lady), in the neighborhood, and in the urban center.

3. Yes, both species can be found in my region. I can distinguish between them by size, tail shape, and calls. I expect to find crows hanging out together in groups more than ravens do.

4. Any birds or animals who listen for crows' alarm calls would benefit from being alerted potential predators lurking around.

1. I think the crows get blamed for all the trash on the ground in the parks but raccoons could also be to blame. I would say "I can see why you are concerned about crows but I think that cats and raccoons do more bird killing than crows". I live in Seattle and we have a nightly flyover of thousands of crows heading to the University of Washington Bothell campus to roost. My friend spends a lot of time studying them. She thinks there are "captains" in the flock who stay on the building until a certain number fly by and they direct traffic. I was so amazed that she spent time studying their behavior every night because I gloss over them.

We recently have had ravens coming west of the Cascade mountains to Seattle. The other birds including crows mob the ravens. The raven is so much bigger and I can see why crows etc think they are a threat.