Anything but Common: The Hidden Life of the American Crow

1. I would point out that grey squirrels and chipmunks, which are quite abundant here, are by far worse predators than the crows. 2. There is a family of crows that frequents our compost pile, and has for many years. They are quite familiar with me and will often fly  from the field out beyond our yard when they see me through the window getting ready to go outside. They will also sit in the trees outside the house and call until I come out with the compost. I have also located their nest high in a pine tree about 1/4 mile away (as the crow flies). 3. There are both Ravens and Crows where e live in Maine. The Crows seem more gregarious and social, traveling in small groups; while the Ravens usual travel alone or in pairs. 4. Almost every other creature that is subject to predation by large predatory birds or mammals will benefit by the presence of crows. The crows very readily announce the presence of hawks, owls, cats, fox or coyotes in the area by mobbing and frantically "yelling".  Sometimes you can even tell by how they mob what predator is around. For instance, there was a fox that was coming to our compost one spring, not for the compost but the mice. The crows would follow the fox down through the woods hanging low in the trees and raising quite a fuss. We could almost predict when the fox would come around the shed by the movement of the rows.  By contrast, hawks will usually freeze high in the trees and crows will mob from above and dive bomb them, so there isn't a lot of lateral movement until the hawk (or owl) decides to make a run for it to escape.

I was surprised to read in "All about birds"  they will "eat almost anything...and chicks they rob from nests."  It seems to contradict what I just learned here.

2.  I live in Vancouver BC, Canada and crows are around me all day long. They visit us on our deck and we watch their behaviour with their young ones and families. Here is a picture from Christmas, 2 years ago, of a pair who are regulars at our home.  They are very loving to each other and so sweet to watch.  Every morning the crows fly into Vancouver from Burnaby, east of here, where they roost each evening. Just before dusk, they fly back to Burnaby together for the evening. It is so beautiful to watch them in the sky fly to the roost and back to us

1. Based on the research it's clear that although crows are predators of songbird young, they are not a main predator and in fact squirrels/snakes are much more detrimental to songbird populations. Many animals eat young birds, might not be fair to penalize the crow for this! I actually hadn't held this against crows, not realizing this was a stigma some people had about this bird. I usually think of hawks and other birds of prey when it comes to eating baby birds.   3. I'm in MA where we have lots of crows and some ravens. I've only seen two here, and only identified them by their very different call. Learning the other ways of differentiating them is so helpful- especially the long shiny feathers on their chest.

I live in Portland, Oregon, and sometimes it seems that there are more crows here than people. They fly toward the Willamette River as the sun sets and then away from the river in the morning. At dusk, before their trip downtown, dozens hang out in the trees near where I live (2 miles east of the river) and hoot and holler. One evening I was by the river as the sun set and saw hundreds if not thousands of crows. Years back, a friend was staying at a hotel downtown and couldn't believe the nonstop stream of crows that flew by her 8th floor window. If I recall the map correctly, there are no crows in Seattle. That is sad. People who have lived here a long time say that there are many more crows now. The only raven I remember seeing was at Death Valley and it was huge.

1. Crows are one of the wonderful sentinels that are always alerting us to what is happening in the neighborhood. Listening to them often tells us where the predators are working. 4. I live outside Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. We have both Crows and Ravens in this area, despite the range map not quite including us. There were a pair of Ravens in the 20-acre woodlot behind my house this summer and numerous crows loved to roost in this area during the fall. Is the territory of Ravens changing? Any idea of the key factors influencing the change?

I live in Calgary, Alberta approximately a one-hour drive from the Rocky Mountains and the famous  resort town of Banff.  Given that we are in the Foothills region of the Rocky Mountains, we get a healthy population of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, Blue Jays and Stellar Jays each spring and summer.  Some of those birds will winter in the Calgary area, but many more will migrate south.  As described in the course material we find the crows to be highly social and gregarious, not to mention noisy.  They are also very skilled flyers and at times seem to take to the air simply to enjoy flying and practicing their aerobatics.  The ravens we have around are much more solitary and not nearly so noisy.  They generally sit on a higher vantage point and watch carefully for any food they may spot, such as road kill, a plastic garbage bag, etc.  I normally spend a fair bit of time in the outdoors (mountains and plains) and, as noted in the course materials, we often rely on the calls of the crow or a nervous squirrel to warn us of anything unusual that may be on the trail ahead.  Of course, they also tell all other birds and animals where we are, too.

if my neighbor is complaining about crows killing songbirds, I think I would share the information graph from this first lesson and suggest putting out some dog food for them to eat instead :) I have lots of crows around my house, and have seen nesting pairs make nests in coniferous and deciduous trees, about 20+ feet up. I have seen both crows and ravens where I live (central BC), but crows are definitely more common.  Ravens seem to like being near water (the local river, and lots more closer to the ocean). Other creatures that would benefit from having crows around are:  my family dog, as he waits for the crows to flip the lid off of the garbage cans, and tip them over.  then he can get right in there and feast! I know other birds like having crows around because they chase off the squirrels.  I've never seen crows predating on the other birds in my yard, but maybe that's because they are finding food elsewhere (like my garbage can, and the dogfood I put out for them).

I would suggest that blue jays might be the culprit who is stealing baby birds from the nest. I have seen that happen on more than one occasion.  Also, squirrels are known to predate on birds nest on both the eggs and nestlings.

Your neighbor is complaining about the American Crows killing all the songbird nestlings.  What would you say to him/her? I would try to share the graphic that clearly indicates the most common nestling predators (which I found to be very interesting). I am not sure if I have ever heard that crows were responsible for killing baby birds; if you were to ask me before Lesson 1 what I knew (or thought I knew) about crows, I would've said that they were noisy. Now that I have completed Lesson 1, I have already learned so much:

• Some crows use tools.
• Ravens are the "pointy all over" birds.
• What my mom keeps calling grackles are probably not.

1. While American Crows will sometimes eat songbird nestlings, the biggest predators of them are snakes and squirrels, accounting for over 50% of the predation. Even insects destroy more nestlings than crows. 2. Lots of places. 3. No. 4. Many other birds because of crows warning system, larger birds that prey on the crows, Great-horned Owls that use their nests, humans because they eat pest rodents.

1. Crows will kill songbird nestlings but they play a minor role. Squirrels and snakes, and many other critters, do more damage. Crows represent about 3% of nestling death. 3. I see them both and will find it easier now to identify them, although it's not always easy in flight. 4. They warn all animals of danger.

1.  I actually have a neighbor who greatly dislikes crows.  I would tell her that it most likely isn't crows that are killing nestlings, but squirrels, chipmunks and snakes are more likely the culprits. 2.  I have about 7 crows that live in the woods directly behind my house and property.  I have not actually seen their nest, but I know approximately where it is as I have seen them flock to the same location a lot.  I also know when a hawk invades their nest as quite a commotion ensues.  I have also seen the crows warn me when a fox was approaching.  He was looking for my pet rabbit whom we had in an outside pen the day before and he attacked her.  When the fox came back, the crows sent out a very loud and unrelenting scolding.  I ran out to see what was happening.  Mr. Fox turned right around and headed back to the woods when he saw he was outnumbered.  You can bet our rabbit never was outside like that again. 3.  I think where I live is just out of the range for the raven, but I think I have, on very rare occasion, seen ravens around here.  I haven't seen enough to know how their behavior differs, but I don't think they communicate in the same way with each other as the crows do. 4.  Animals, such as owls, who use their abandoned nests and they are a food source for predators, though it seems they stand up to about any creature, so I can't imagine they are anyone's meal too often.

1. I would suggest my neighbor set up a camera to see if it could be squirrels instead. 2. I have seen American and Fish Crows all around Monmouth County, NJ. 3. I live where there are mainly crows. I haven't been able to observe a nest though. 4.The owls that would take over their nests. Other birds that would live nearby that would be on the lookout for bigger prey. Such as the eagle that lives nearby. I have seen crows try to chase the bigger birds away.

1#. I have not seen evidence of crows eating baby birds ..if fact quite the reverse..The crows  and ravens seem off put and back away from smaller birds flocks on the ground and in the air .. Crows and Ravens are scavengers ..I watched  yesterday  a Raven pecking out a used yoghurt container ..it was comical .. Turned this container every which way,  stood on it flew up on a shelf with it, realized  opps a mistake..could not hold and peck  at the same time , so followed the container down again on the ground 2#. Not spied a crows nest yet.. I live in the foothills with loads of trees.. crows  and ravens love  to stay out of the heat ,,  they stay together in the same sheltered area.. hiding themselves until the heat subsides and dinner is on the menu around 3-5 pm .. certainly birds of habit 3#.. can distinguish them.  , although they do flock together when theres food for the offering .Notice thay fly and roost together but more with their mate ..coupling up.. 4# Have seen evidence that Red Hawks  watch crows and ravens .. Only I hawk  will round  up and frighten a murder of crows .. .This.Hawk was very  fast swooping down  on these crows, .. the sun was out it was their dinner time when they congregate for food .. the hawk was not interested in the crows food,  it was the crows  themselves?  Or territorial ?  .. .. and it felt like murder in the sky to me.. .swoosh swoosh blacking  out the sun for a second back and forwards,  a frentic pace and fear  in the air.. I watched for 2-3 minutes .  Eventually the crows( not ravens) settled in a very tall tree together  and stayed there for at least 40 minutes, only watching quietly .. There was no play no movement no noise.. They then quietly flew away.. Territorial from the Red  Tailed Hawk? Other birds tend to stay away from crows.. but will come in 'after'  the crows have pecked  their way  looking for nibbles.. ..Im thinking the crows  long becks unearth other morsels for the smaller birds.. They peck away at gravel daily ..   there must be something they find in this gravel.. I see them pick it up then off to another spot.. and certain  little birds ..a smaller black variety I have not determined 'what' yet kind of mingle with the crows  at a safe place

Looking at the range map, I see ravens territory isn't around the Lake Ontario area. I live 12 miles from the Niagara River along the lake but we have seen ravens in our area. I learned how to ID them from this course using tail feathers and wing feathers. When we were kids, our parents told us crows will sound the alarm in the woods when an intruder was around. True? As far as crows killing other birds, cats and other animals do far more damage. Bonnie

I was surprised to learn that , like squirrels, chipmunks are also omnivores and all of those related cuties are more responsible for nest predation than crows.

4. I perceive that our songbirds greatly benefit from the local crows. The crows act as the sheriffs in town, sounding the alarm when raptors are nearby. I've seen our crows chase hawks as they initiate a foray toward the smaller birds.... The people also benefit: Their antics keep us happy. (Example: Pair of crows playing with a groundhog, alternating in pecking the groundhog's hindquarters just to see him jump!)

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1. I would say that actually more nestlings are killed by snakes and chipmunks and crows only invade about 2% of the time. 2. I grew up in Louisiana and Mississippi and live in North Georgia now so I guess Ive mostly seen crows and not ravens. I also lived in central Virginia for many years so perhaps I have seen Ravens there as well as crows. I am hoping to be able to tell the difference between the two now. 3.I live in an area where only crows live. We will be moving to West Virginia in a few years. I can't tell by the map if Ravens are in WEst Virginia. 4. I'm not sure why other animals might benefit from crows other than their warning sounds.

2) I live in the UK, so I'm more familiar with Carrion crow, but want to do the course because I'm interested in crows and haven't seen anything like this course in the UK. Can anyone tell me any differences between carrion and American crow, other than location, because they look the same to me and we use exactly the same features to distinguish carrion from raven here? Hopefully I can come and see the American ones someday. Carrion crow seem to be absolutely everywhere over here. In England people often say crows are solitary, whereas rooks are the social ones, but I think this is just a local myth because there are huge flocks of crows in the fields near where I live. (Rooks are another corvid very common in the UK, but easily distinguishable when close because they have a bare face. They make such huge nesting colonies that apparently house prices go down if they nest nearby because of the terrific noise.) I  love them because they are smart, create a lot of atmosphere and they all have different sounding voices. 3) Wild ravens are uncommon in the city in the UK. I've seen them make a huge nest in castle ruins. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a crow's nest. 4) I think they might help alert squirrels and other birds and small mammals to approaching foxes, cats or raptors. I imagine they also help keep parks clean by eating up some of the leftovers people throw there, sometimes for the ducks. 1) I've never heard anyone complain much about crows where I live in the city, but apparently farmers shoot them because they say crows attack lambs etc, but if my neighbour did complain I would explain about squirrels taking more baby birds and especially domestic cats. We hardly have any snakes here. I once saw a crow attacking an injured adult magpie. It was really going for it, but the other magpies were furious and all gathered round to try to protect the injured one from the crow. I've not seen that before and found that quite interesting. People often complain about magpies here eating baby birds too.

Re: #2    I live in an area that has many crows.  I hear them when I am first getting up, at around 4am, and then again at twilight (currently around 7pm). They caw, and chatter back and forth, and it is such a lovely, raucous sound!  I have not really seen their nests (or at least I haven't been sure if the nests I saw were the crows' or other birds). I will be paying more attention as I learn more about them!

1. I would ask my neighbor how she feels about crows and ravens before I address her false assumption that American Crows kills baby birds. She probably believes this false assumption because she does not crows due to their evil jet black color, gregariousness and noisiness, and their constant group partying. I would then assure her that the baby birds are normally victims of squirrels, chipmunks, and snakes, not crows. I would also add that other bird species like jays and raptors devour more nestlings than American Crows. Finally, I'd cite the Cornell Lab as my source and encourage her to check out the facts for herself. 2. I see American Crows everywhere in my neighborhood in Santee, California. A crow family lives in the Chinaberry tree in my backyard, and I have observed hundreds going to roost in the riparian forests along the San Diego River at dusk. Observing the American Crows nested in the backyard Chinaberries, the female spends more time in the nest and clucks like a chicken. 3. Both crows and raven live in my neighborhood. I have observed both. An American Crow is distinct from Common Ravens, as big or larger than a Red Tail Hawk. Ravens have shaggy throat and nasal feathers and a long stout bill. The Common Ravens tail feathers are diamond  shaped when in flight; American Crows have rounded tail feathers. Common Ravens have four wing fingers; American Crows have five. Crows caw while Ravens make a gurgling croak. Most of what I see and know is crow, but I have a craven to study the raven. 4. American Crows are excellent seed distributors, so plants and trees grow providing food and shelter for many animals in an ecosystem. They are also voracious insect eaters, so they are natural pest control agents.  American Crows also eat earthworms, mice, lizards, and snakes. Their nests are very well built and used by Great Horned Owl, which does not build its own nest. The Great Horned Owl also preys on American Crows.

1. I would let them know that snakes and the abundant squirrels we have are more likely to be killing the nestlings, great fact I just learned from this course. 2. Our property has a large amount of open space and oak trees, we see them here all the time. I believe we have seen nests but will look more carefully now to see if the are crews’ nests. We also have seen them dipping garbage (bread, tortillas, pizza) in our backyard fountain to soften it before eating.... 3. We are in Southern California, so yes, both live hear. I will know now to look at the hard shape, tail and wing shape, and feather and flight patterns to identify. I believe based on the calls it will be easier to identify also. 4. I definitely know that other animals benefit from the “early warning system” crows provide when there is a predator in the area. We have bobcats and coyotes, and crows will often notify the entire neighborhood when a bobcat is coming through. The squirrels and smaller birds disappear. We humans appreciate the notification also, and when we hear the crows we go out to make sure the neighbor’s dog is in....

If a neighbor complained about crows eating baby birds, I would agree, but tell them that squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, and raccoons eat a lot more baby birds than crows do, citing the information from tis course. I remember hearing crows early in the morning year round when growing up in the Chicago suburbs. It was a sound I loved waking up to as a child, and have continued to treasure as an adult in New England. In Boston, I see crows in parks. In rural Maine, they are often along roadsides or in the woods. There are ravens and crows in Maine. I've spotted a raven a time or two but see crows often. I've also heard what I thought was the croak of a raven deep in the woods, but as I learn more about the crow's vocal repertoire, I'm not so sure. Any bird or rodent small enough to make a good meal for a hawk or eagle benefits from having a flock of crows in the neighborhood because the crows often mob large raptors.