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- Your neighbor is complaining about the American Crows killing all the songbird nestlings. What would you say to him/her?
- Where have you seen American Crows? Based on what you learned in this lesson, see if you can locate a crow’s nest (keeping a respectful distance) and share what you found.
- You’ve seen the range map for the American Crow. Here is the range map for Common Ravens.
Do you live where there are both species? If so, can you now distinguish between them? What differences have you noticed in their behavior? - What birds and other animals might benefit from having crows around? Why? How?
You must be enrolled in the course to reply to this topic. -
1. If my neighbor was complaining I would first tell them to keep their cats inside then explain how crows are way down on the list for killing songbirds. 2. There are several just a couple blocks from my house and beyond from there, here in SW Utah. I have not seen a nest but there are so many juniper trees around that it would be like finding a needle in a haystack! In the winter time they are joined by the Ravens. It seems to me the American Crows are a little bigger in size than average here. Healthy environment? More natural foods and less human scraps? 3. I have been successful in distinguishing them most of the time but when in flight I get confused. I'm learning that the Ravens seem to hang out in pairs and crows, well, can be murderous! Both are fun to watch, they love to play in the wind, and I have witnessed Ravens doing barrel rolls. 4. Lots of raptors around here are mobbed by the crows which keeps them in line :-) I would think that might benefit smaller song birds from predation by the raptors. The other animal that benefits is humans just for the amusement (or maybe just me).
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First of all, thank you so much for creating this course. I find the American Crow fascinating and am having fun learning more about them! I love the analogy that they are party animals, as I've observed them engage in behaviors that very much reflect that. 1. I would explain that I was concerned about that too, but I researched it and it's actually not true! I would encourage them to research it themselves via the Cornell Lab website. 2. I have a crow nest in my backyard, hence I want to learn more! It's so high up in our white pine, I haven't seen it without obstruction, but I did get to witness them bringing sticks, twigs and moss up there to build it :) 3. I live only where American Crows are. I've never seen a Common Raven, but would love to! 4. Most songbirds and small mammals living in a backyard would benefit because crows are so good at alarming or mobbing when something is happening, whether it be a hawk soaring above or the neighbors removing a tree (I listened to the alarm sound for a while when that happened.)
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I love hearing and observing corvids in general. They are very 'talkative'. While I see mostly scrub jays and magpies on my daily walks, crows and ravens will show up at times. I have not seen the tool-making, but noticed caching of food, retrieval, strategies to open acorns, and patient waiting for a hawk to leave its dinner 'table', so that a few scrabs can be picked up.
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Hey All, I recently built thecrowbox.com and I have been trying to attract crows. I see them several times a week in a tree just a few houses away. I try leaving food out, at the same time, almost everyday. I leave food behind when I take my dog on walks. I have been doing this for about 2 months, but not making progress. They are really skittish. Any suggestions here? Note: Squirrels eat the food rather quickly so it isn't out long. I put some food on top of the box and some on the ground (in grass) Thanks, MK
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Hi Michael. I had a couple of thoughts for you. I've heard it's helpful if you and make a signature noise when you're leaving food, something like a particular whistle. Also I've been trying raw in shell peanuts with the crows in my area, but being very much a city population I think it might be an unfamiliar food for them. Maybe try mixing up what you're offering. Good luck!
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@Cordelia I live on the southwest side of Los Angeles very near the airport, LAX. We have many crows flying and calling throughout the day. Usually 4-6, sometimes more. I have left raw peanuts (a pile of 20 perhaps) in the shell at the edge of my yard in the shade of a large cedar bush. I will call to them when they are over head and perched on the street lamp or in a neighbor’s tree. Sometimes I mimic their “caws”. Sometimes I use a turkey call that does a good job mimicking. And then sometimes I just talk to them. My wife is worried that the neighbors will think I’m strange. ‘They will ignore the nuts occasionally. But they are gone later when I come home. Squirrels get some also. Then I’ve had them rush in as a group , raucously vying to see who goes to the pile first. Sometimes they sidle up to the pile and are not sure if they want to partake. Then a more experienced or perhaps bolder individual will walk right up, grab a nut and fly to a perch to eat. I like crows. They do seem to be warning each other at times. I’ve never seen why. We have opossums, raccoons, feral & domesticated cats, and probably coyotes. But I think theses creatures are almost strictly nocturnal. I assume the crows are sleeping at night. Aren’t they?
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2 - I live by a lake in North Georgia - and they are everywhere doing everything - including hopping along the side of the lake - could they be fishing? They also seem to use sentinels - there is always at least one perched on a tree overlooking the others. Looking forward to learning more!
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Surprised that the predator study did not include cats feral & domestic have to believe they do more damage than deer. And it being such a contentious issue among animal lovers it would be good to document and learn more
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It's not 100% clear, but it sounds like the study the video cites had domestic and other cats as part of the meso-mammal group. Which in this study was the 3rd largest predator group. It also might be worth noting that this study seemed to focus only on predation of eggs and nestlings. It's possible that cats tend to eat birds when they're older. A lot of domestic cats aren't great when it comes to getting up and down trees. I don't have any data for this, but it would makes sense to me if most of the birds cats are eating are older/ out of the nest. As for numbers, according to an article on this site cats apparently kill an estimated 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds in the US annually. And of course even a well fed cat will often kill birds out of instinct. So definitely a problem. I'm a cat lover too though. I usually just remind people that keeping cats indoors also allows cats to live longer, and that if they're worried about enrichment a "catio" can be a great option. For an established outdoor cat I'd encourage people to consider a bright reflective collar with a bell. It gives birds at least some warning, and can also help protect their cat from cars
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4. I’d argue that some of the American Crows predators might benefit from large amounts of crows. For instance, if a large amount of crows have been in an area, there would be many remnants of their flock. Clues like droppings, feathers and, if in a human-populated area, trash. Could lead a crow predator to either wait around the area to see if they’ll return or track them down to score a potential meal.
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Snakes and squirrels kill more baby birds or eat the eggs I assume. I have never actually seen a crow's nest but it in my old neighbourhood they loved the highest evergreen trees it seems.I can tell them by their call and when you see a pair of Raven's they are huge around us and rarely appear. Crows are always communicating with each other and I am pretty sure animals and other birds learn their calls generally as danger or hey party, there is lots for everybody here.
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1. Akshually crows make up a relatively small percentage of nest preditation, lets go squirrel hunting
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First off, this is a wonderful course. I am so thankful to be able to take it. 1. i would explain that that is a common misconception that i had also believed, but that it was untrue. In fact, crows account for a rather small portion of egg/nestling predation 2 . i have seen american crows almost everywhere in the province of bc. I dont know if ive seen a crows nest but ive seen and heard many fledglings 3. where i live, there are both crows and ravens. I am confident in distinguishing one from another. I have found that crows are far more sociable with each other in large groups, and (at least the population at my nearby beach) are more inclined to come closer to humans and investigate them. 4. I think many foraging creatures would benefit from crows around as they seem to hide and stockpile enormous amounts of food! Lots of which im sure is found and consumed by other birds and animals. Crows also provide great security for other birds when hawks, eagles , or owls are around. In my experience, they landmark and swoop/scold the predators usually until the predator opts to fly away. Then the crows tend to follow them for a good distance until satisfied theyre safely away. I just love crows.
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I agree, I enjoy crows too and sometimes I scold them when they seem to be complaining or yelling too much. I moved and am in an apartment complex near a McDonald's etc. There were tons of crows but since the storms this past week, they seem to have moved on but the trees were filled with them. My binoculars are not strong enough to differentiate
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1.In fact，snakes and squirrels kill far more song birds than American crows. 4.Some American crows are also food for other predators.
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1. Chipmunks, snakes, and squirrels are greater predators than crows. Crows are a very small percentage of baby bird predation. 2. back yard field looking for grubs and insects. No nests found yet. 3. Yes, northern Vermont. Yes. Ravens are sighted at higher elevations, Green Mountains. 4. Owls; nesting sites. Warnings calls, prey animals.
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3. Looking at the range map we have more ravens than crows in southern Arizona, although I have seen them here. I saw two crows in Sedona raiding a dumpster and throwing food and paper plate around. They were quite hilarious. 1. If I had a neighbor who was complaining a crow was eating the songbird nestlings I would point out the burrowing owls and Harris Hawks who actively raid nests to feed their babies in the spring.
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3) I live in Apple Valley, the high desert of California. We have both. The main difference is that the Raven is HUGE compared to the Crow. The Ravens live in my neighborhood which is pretty rural, and the Crows seem to like being in the suburbs more. I don't know why they have a preference. The Ravens know that if they squawk at my bedroom window, I will come out and feed them cat food. When I go out running, they sometimes follow me, and I can get dive-bombed, but it is more like play (I hope.) Today I found some silver jewelry by my bedroom window, they must have stolen it from somewhere, but it's mine now. I like when babies are born. They are easier to get to know. Specific Ravens have their tree perch and corner of the Apt Building that seems to be claimed as theirs. A couple appears to be a lot more fun-loving than the others. It is like they are class clowns. There is one that hides in his tall bush that is taller than the roof of my apartment building, and when I go to get the mail, he will sometimes scare me by popping out and squawking at me and swooping down. He is such a nut. I love ravens and crows. It's a good thing I like to get up early. But I have a pair of great horned owls that live in the tree behind where I live, which can keep me up.
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Ann Arbor, Michigan has a massive amount of crows that come to roost in the evening of the cooler months. It's quite a sight to see! They completely fill the air. Then, at night walking around, you just look up and see the trees are completely filled with them. This is why I am taking this course, to learn more about these birds that are so prevalent here. The local Audubon society, when they do bird counts, have one person to count just the crows. Ravens are not in southern Michigan, but can be easily found farther up north.
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1. Squirrels and chipmunks take the majority of nestlings in the Northeast. Crows are near the bottom of the list of baby bird predators. 2. The best sighting of American Crows was with a Mass Audubon group on a cold night in February in a hospital parking lot in Springfield, MA. The crows were flying in from staging areas to roost at the edges of the parking lot where the lights gave them protection from owls. There were an estimated 7,000-10,000 crows, and I have never heard or seen anything like it! 3. There are both crows and ravens where I live in Western Massachusetts. The biggest difference I notice is the tendency for ravens to be more solitary. I rarely see them in large flocks like I do the crows. 4. Crows help to keep the insect and rodent population down, provide nests for great horned owls and merlins, are themselves prey for other animals, and help disperse seeds.
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1) Chipmunks and squirrels eat more songbird nestlings than do crows, at least here in Georgia. Additionally, if you are concerned about song birds populations, make sure to take into consideration those that we impacting during migration season by leaving our lights on at night. 2) While walking in my neighborhood, I have heard and seen crows in one particular area, going on several years now. 3) Pretty sure I have never seen a raven. Going forward I will be looking for them when I travel. 4) I do not know specifically how crows can be a benefit to other animals, but considering that the basic biology includes the concept of the "Web of Life", I am sure they must be connected to other animals in their habitat.
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We have been watching neighbor crows for the past 15 or so years. I'd share that first there are no politicians in nature. All the earth's creatures have a place in the ecosystem. Crows are a very very small part of killing songbirds. Us humans and the way we live are magnitudes larger in the killing of birds are all sorts.
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2. I have seen American Crows here in San Diego but haven't seen a nest. Every evening around 6-7pm (depending on daylight savings time), at least one hundred crows gather in the neighboring trees and seem to be catching up on the day's activities or planning the evening's affairs. It's my favorite time of the day to stop what I'm doing, listen to their family squawks and squabbles and imagine what they might be discussing. 3. I've noticed many Common Ravens as well, and now thanks to this course feel more confident in my ability to distinguish between the two species. Like others who've commented here, it seems the ravens are more solitary than the crows. I've also seen them in Joshua Tree which surprised me; I never expected them to be in the desert!
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1. When a neighbor or friend state that crows are killing young songbirds, it is important to point out this is a more rare instance than they think. Snakes, squirrels and chipmunks kill the highest % of songbirds and crows account for less than 5 %. 3. Thanks to the Professor McGowan’s tips on determining the differences between Crows and Ravens, along with the brilliant “snap ID” quizzes, I believe I am now much better at identifying one over the other ! 4. The entire ecosystem where crows live, benefits from their presence ! Crows help to mitigate some of the prey populations, while also serving the community of birds by alerting the community to the presence of predators.
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1. I would share that snakes and squirrels kill far more song birds than American crows. 2. I have seen American Crows in Chicago in neighborhoods and city parks. 3. No. I live in Chicago. Common Ravens are not found here. 4. An entire ecosystem benefits from having crows around. They control their prey populations while at the same time thy provide food for animals in a higher trophic level.
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1. Surprisingly, neighbor, crows eat very few nestlings, and squirrels, even chipmunks, are one of the biggest nest predators, along with snakes! 2. We see crows often in the rural area of Kentucky in which we live. There's usually a lookout/sentry and four to five more. I've never seen a crow's nest, but always look for nests when hiking. 3. Our area has American Crows but we are within 50 miles of raven habitat and have seen them there. While I am able to distinguish easily between their calls, I now know more of the physical characteristics that distinguish crows and ravens. 4. Crows alert other birds (and the neighborhood) to the presence of owls and hawks and they help keep the rodent population down.
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I live in the sliver of NC that has both American Crows and Ravens year round and on Facebook wildlife appreciation groups here you can almost always find an ongoing discussion about a rather a picture is of a crow or raven (or beaver and groundhog but alas)… this lesson was extremely helpful to me as I always harbored a little sliver of doubt myself. If I am applying what I learned correctly, my yard harbors the American Crow.
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1. The crow will harm songbird nestlings, but your biggest culprit is snakes in the South, and where you don't have many snakes, you need to be more concerned about squirrels and chipmunks. A crow will bother a songbird nest a little more than a deer.
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We have a pair of crows that live on our street. I was so upset and yet impressed last summer as one crow taunted a mother bunny far enough away from her nest so that the other could snatch one of her baby bunnies and fly off (traumatic moment as the mother bunny actually screamed and thumped her feet). The crow's teamwork was impressive. I was so mad at them at first until later I saw the pair had a young crow of their own; everyone has to eat and we certainly have enough bunnies around here!
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Aww, that is some story, it is hard to watch but we do have to understand nature.
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1- actually squirrels and snakes eat more bird eggs than crows.
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1. I would show the neighbor the pie chart and share the fact that chipmunks, squirrels and snakes eat more eggs from nests than the crow does. 4. All birds benefit from the crow due to the fact that they alarm all birds and many animals of predator dangers.
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Crows are omnivorous, but the major consumers of baby birds are squirrels, chipmunks and snakes. Squirrels and chipmunks spend as much time in trees as on the ground and eat whatever they find in the trees, including baby birds, that will provide the nutrients they need to survive and reproduce. Crows do, on occasion, eat baby birds, but they have a wide variety of food sources. There is a crow's nest high in the pine across the street--and another around the corner in a neighbor's yard. There is a small group of crows here that congregate on the local water tower, in the tallest trees and on our roofs. They seem to have places that they go during the day--unless there is something of concern like a hawk or other danger that causes them to rally and sound the alarm that danger is near. I live in northwestern Oregon and have not encountered ravens here. I love their gutteral calls and am always amazed at their size in comparison to crows. The songbirds at my feeder probably appreciate the crows calling to warn of predators. Mice, rats, moles and voles in my yard also appreciate an early warning that a predator is near.
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Crows do eat baby birds occasionally, but they are not the main predators to them. Snakes and squirrels are far more common predators to baby birds, and crows are on par with white-tailed deer, which are usually thought of as herbivores. Predation is a natural part of the ecosystem, and crows should not be demonized for it when they aren’t even main predators to baby birds. Crows also benefit the ecosystem by eating invasive pests such as Japanese beetles. I was very surprised to learn that there are no ravens at all in my state, and the last sighting of one was in 2007. However, I see American crows frequently. I have even seen them at my high school!
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1. Songbird baby predation is mostly from snakes and squirrels including chipmunks. Crows actually account for very few baby bird deaths. 2. I have a band of crows living near our large front yard, however I have not been able to find their nest yet. 3. I live in an area that only has crows, no ravens. But if I saw them side by side I could distinguish them apart. 4. Crows alert the neighborhood of predators, they eat nice and insect pest, they distribute seeds.
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1. Songbirds have many predators that are far more aggressive in killing songbird nestlings. For example, chipmunks, squirrels and snakes are the most aggressive in raiding songbird nests for baby birds. Crow, do eat baby birds, but there are many predators after chipmunks, etc. to nestlings that are far more destructive including insects and cowbirds. 2. In my part of the country (CT, U.S.), crows are regulars at the shoreline. However, they do sometimes come to my backyard feeder and several times have been seen near the fast food corridor in my town. I have never seen a crow's nest. 3. Only occasionally will I see a raven in the area. They are sometimes seen at the shoreline. I have never seen a raven inland in CT. When travelling to Maine, there is a greater opportunity to see ravens. Ravens always seem much bigger and huskier than crows. They are always a surprise when I see them. One other place I have seen ravens is out west at one of the national parks sitting on a brick barrier/fence post. His behavior was extremely calm and allowed a lot of photos to be taken of him. My guess is that he has had lots of experience with tourists. Crows, when I see them - they are always with other crows. 4. Since they warn others of predators any of the smaller birds and mammals (such as chipmunks and squirrels) are warned in advance. My interest in crows and birds in general came from seeing this behavior in crows. I was watching a ring-necked pheasant in a field when a hawk landed nearby. Within a short time two crows also arrived and started cawing; then attacking/flying close to the hawk to scare him off. I do not know if the hawk was really after the pheasant, but it was a field, it could have been mice or something else. What I do know is that the hawk left because of the crows and did not take anything with him.
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About crow predation: Yes, I've seen a crow steal and eat a baby robin, with two very distressed parents dive-bombing and watching the event. It broke my heart, and for a time I was no longer a fan of crows. In my utopian fantasy world, nothing would be eaten by anything else. But the fact is, that's the food chain that keeps this world alive, gruesome though it may be at times. The flip side is, crows are neighborhood guard dogs, chasing other predators away so that other birds and small animals can survive another day. And they do it with gusto and panache. Besides, now that I've learned that chipmunks and squirrels, whom I also adore, are serious nest predators, how can I hold it against crows?
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I was surprised to learn that chipmunks and squirrels were the main predators of baby birds. I would point that out to anyone that says crows are the culprits. I think I have seen both ravens and crows in NYS. Mostly, it’s crows. I do hear them warn the animals whenever someone is in the area. I think I can identify them better now.
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In regards to #1, I would point out that snakes and squirrels are the biggest danger to songbird nestlings than crows. To answer #2, I go back to the 60's after graduating from high school. I went rabbit hunting with a friend in east central Missouri. We were walking through a large field with forest on either side of it. We saw two crows heading for us and then veer around us just out side of shotgun range. I always thought that was amazing and have since then always considered crows intelligent.
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I live in Atlantic Canada, and we have both crows and ravens, although the ravens are less obvious. Tons of crows in all kinds of habitat: on the seashore, in built-up areas, parks, feeders. We also have squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons -- all "cute" until you learn they are heavy predators of nestlings. I have crows all day long at my feeder area so I love observing their interactions among themselves as well as with me and my small dog. They have figured us out! They pick up bread chunks and fly to my house to dunk in the birdbath that is near my feeders. I've seen a parent bird do that, then feed the soggy bread to a juvenile with an injured leg that could bear no weight. I believe that was extra feeding she wouldn't have had to do if it was healthy, but its leg healed in the end and it could forage for itself. The two most important things I learned from this first lesson is how to differentiate between crows and ravens, and that crows are by far the least responsible for nest predation.
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According to the Cornell crow lesson I just took, crows are NOT "heavy predators of nestlings," but rather are tied with deer for the second least nestling predation. Snakes and squirrels account for more that half nest raids.
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if a neighbor were complaining about crows killing baby birds I would tell him that the biggest killers of baby songbirds are small mammals like cute chipmunks and squirrels and snakes. Songbirds and small mammals may benefit from crows since crows are good warning systems for predators..
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I live in Alaska. We have a lot of crows but, I think many more ravens. This may come out in later sessions but the ravens here mimic an incredible variety of sounds, mimicking it seems not only other birds but other animals. But with respect to the current lesson, is there any data on nest predation by cats (feral or domestic). I thought that domestic cats roaming outside were an issue with bird predation in general.
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I've heard ravens do pitch-perfect imitations of the beeps of trucks backing up.
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I have 4- 6 crows that come to my backyard at least 3 or 4 times a week. They are a group who hang around together and its obvious that they're friends. they tend to feed on seeds that the songbirds throw down when they are feeding on my bird feeder. I love watching them fly and congregate together in the trees or on my front lawn looking for insects. I enjoy hearing the different calls they make. I wish I knew what their different calls mean. It looks like I live in an area (New Hampshire) where there are both crows and ravens but I've never seen a raven here.
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- I would share with my neighbors the small percentage of next robberies due to Crows. -I live in Western NY and have seen both Ravens and Crows. I witnessed Crows this summer going "crazy" over the arrival of a large hawk in our wooded backyard. They certainly let the entire neighborhood know there was a predator nearby. -I'll be on the lookout for a nest!
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I would tell the person complaining about crows killing nestlings that squirrels do kill a much higher number but regardless of the numbers the crows are just doing what crows naturally do, just as any other animal does. Then I would agree with them that it was still sad.
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I live in the Pacific NW now but previously lived on the east coast where crows were prevalent but no ravens. Out here it has been interesting to see the differences between the 2 species, particularly that ravens seem more solitary and crows are often together in small groups or large flocks. I live near the University of Washington Bothell campus which is next to a large wetland and there is a flock of ~10,000 crows that gather there in the winter. Before moving out here had never seen anything like it and it's pretty cool at dusk to see the crows gathering from all directions as they make their way to the site....and yes, it can get pretty loud at times! Have also often seen them mobbing hawks and eagles so they are definitely warning other animals and songbirds of their presence.
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Here in Vanvouver British Columbia the crows choose one of the busiest intersections in this urban area to congregate on winter evenings. As the rushhour traffic streams below them, thousands of crows stream from every direction to occupy tree branches, telephone wires and roofs. I wonder what impels them to travel so far to congregate with others of their kind? Does each bird have its own designated perching site? Who decides who sits where? Do they have to purchase tickets?
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Alarms when predators near. Provides food for larger animals. Leaves behind nests for owls.
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I'm a migratory person - that is I travel the country and work as a volunteer camp or park host. I'm currently at a park in the Pacific Northwest where we have tons of crows and I love them for many reasons. For one, they're entertaining - they go from campsite to campsite to see if any campers have left anything interesting behind. Secondly and maybe my favorite - they help me keep the campsites clean! You go it - any little small tasty morsels left around are quickly cleaned up by the crows so they make my job a whole heck of a lot easier. I also appreciate that they help keep the small rodents at bay. The last thing we want is the mice scaring campers away! Lastly during the week when the campground is quiet I still have the crows to keep me company!
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It's funny that that you say that because we go camping every summer here in the PNW and one thing that I have (or I guess haven't noticed!) is that fact that at most if not all of the campgrounds we've been too there hasn't been too many mice or other rodents around. Never thought that the crows could play a role.
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I live where both ravens and crows reside. It’s so easy to here the throaty raven call even before seeing them. Our ravens live in the bush around a small, local lake and don’t come out into crow territory until the crows are gathering to leave for the winter. I watched a sharp-shinned hawk sitting in a tree behind our house. They are amazing hunters, more like fighter jets isolating a bird from its flock for prey. I have noticed that the crows and magpies try to intimidate it and chase it out of the tree. Having such clever, strong birds in the neighborhood helps protects the songbirds.
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I live in the mid Atlantic region and I see crows in lawns and parking lots. Now I know that I'm less likely to see a raven as they don't commonly live in my region year round. (but I will still try to id a murder of crows the next time I see one. Crows likely help other predatory birds find prey as they travel in groups or murders so the other birds know where to look for food.
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Crows statistically eat many fewer bird's eggs than snakes and squirrels and other small mammals so don't be so quick to blame the crows!
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I'd point out that it's interesting, data shows that squirrels and snakes actually eat more than 10 times the amount of baby birds as crows, and that of all baby bird predators, crows and deer are the least likely to eat baby birds.
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Our songbirds benefit from having crows around. They frequently benefit from the protection crows provide as we observe them mob the resident re-tailed hawk and cooper's hawks that live in our area. This also benefits us as we have learned to observe this behavior and stop what we are doing to scour the skies.
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I have had Crows around everywhere that I have lived in the Pacific Northwest. Currently, I live near the ocean and have had Crows nest in nearby shore pines. I've also seen Ravens in the taller wooded areas and near the beach dunes. If a neighbor decried the murderous Crows, I would mention the study, emphasizing that deer and crows kill baby birds at the same rate which is way below insects! I can usually distinguish Crows and Ravens by the shape of their tail feathers when they are flying but more by the calls--love the raucous sounds of the Ravens.
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I live in Wildomar, California, right below the Santa Ana mountains. I have American Crows (20-30) in my yard, on my roof, every day. I am a recently retired educator and am enjoying watching all the birds that come on our property (just under an acre and very native vegetation). I have especially noted they will bring food, be it bread crumbs they left in the bird bath or the dead rabbit, hit by a car, that they dragged up under our pepper tree. As a teacher in nearby Murrieta I saw crows open paper lunch sacks, pull a sandwich out of its baggie and enjoy a tasty meal. I started advising my first graders to keep lunches secured inside backpacks! I never see crows alone, although at times 2 or 3 seem to lag behind the group. I have also noticed they seem to almost have a schedule. Every morning, on the roof, in the yard digging for and eating insects, noisily starting their day. At first the noise they make stomping on the roof bothered me, but I have become rather fond of “my” crows…hence my interest in learning more about them…
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I live in coastal Orange County, CA where there are plenty (with a capital P) of crows. We had a 60 foot tall pine tree next to our driveway that apparently had a crow's nest at the top. One day a large pork rib bone fell from the sky and nearly hit me as I was standing in the driveway. So indeed, crows are opportunistic feeders. The crow nesting at the top of our tree must have raided someone's picnic or trash can. The bone was picked completely clean so there wasn't even anything left for the ants. It must have made a tasty meal for the babies.
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My neighbor has no inclination to kill crows, but if she did I would tell her that crows that frequent her property recognize her face and think she's nice.
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We live in coastal Santa Barbara County California in a senior resident community. My wife and I walk almost every morning. We noticed two crows sitting in a tree and threw out some peanuts. After doing this for a few mornings they began following us through the park and were rewarded with more peanuts. If we delay the peanuts they will buzz us, flying from behind about 1 foot off the ground within 2-3 feet of us, sometimes even flying between us when we are not walking too close together. We named the larger of the two "Corvid-19". They now wait for us every morning seated on the roof of the neighbor's house. If our departure is delayed, they will start start cawing. This has been going on now for more than a year!
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I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and had never seen a crow in our yard even though we put out lots of seed, suet and peanuts. One day, a crow finally appeared on the ground and it had a dragging wing. It later flew away and now has come to visit once in a while. A friend of mine spotted a crow with a dragging wing a few blocks away and I'm convinced it is our visitor. I've occasionally seen crows on top of parking lot light posts and building roofs. I always smile broadly and tell it "Hello crow; you're beautiful!"
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Upon hearing quite a ruckus coming from the forest behind our property, I spotted a hawk flying out over our lawn, with a murder of noisy crows in pursuit. By chasing the hawk out of the forest, the crows nests were protected as were any other birds in the forest.
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I live in the southeastern united states, so I'll remind folks that snakes and chipmunks are the more likely predators for baby birds. Now, encouraging folks to co-exist with snakes.. that's a different discussion :-) I live in a heavily populated area and see crows frequently dining on unsecured trash in parking lots. I've also seen crows when hiking and trail running in the forest. The range for ravens does not expand into my area, though I do travel into raven territory from time to time. I'll try and use what I've learned here to distinguish crows and ravens. Crows may help other wildlife by eating pests like insects, which could mitigate infectious disease transmission.
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I live near the Quabbin reservoir in MA and the ravens nest near the spillway every year. In the spring the pair sit together and appear to be grooming each other looking like a contented couple. The most noise I have heard from them is when a parent flies in to feed the young. When I hear the gronk sound I know they are nearby even though I might not see them. Crows on the other are a noisy bunch and have so many different sounds and are quick to defend their territory.
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I live in St. Paul, Minnesota, which is in the southern half of the state. I don't see many ravens here, and it looks like the range map confirms that. I live in a suburban townhouse association and am taking this course, because I see and hear crows very regularly. They seem to be around all the time, and will often fly down onto my lawn usually in pairs or groups. They are indeed very noisy! I'm pretty sure there's a nest up high in a tree, because I've seen them there. To me, it looks similar to a squirrel's nest--is that the case?
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Some of my officemates look out onto a rooftop where crows destroyed a pigeon's nest and ate the babies, and they were put off crows. Now I can let them know that were we live (the northeast), squirrels and chipmunks are a much greater problem, and even ants and raccoons kill more baby birds than do crows. Obviously crows will take a snack when they see one, but baby birds are exposed to many risks and crows are a smaller part of that picture. Yes, I can now identify crows vs. ravens, thanks!
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1. I would point out that although crows will snag nestlings if they can, nestlings have a lot of predators and the most likely culprit is squirrels. I bet a lot of people would not know that, I certainly didn't know that. 2. I live in southern Ontario, Canada, and I pretty much see crows everywhere. The two crows I am most familiar with that come to my feeders nest in our suburban neighbourhood, I think I even know the backyard, but I can't ever pin point the nest. I'll have to go have another look this year. It has several tall trees in it, I suspect it's in the pine tree. 3. In southern Ontario there are only crows, however, my parents live in northern Ontario where ravens rule and you see them all over the place. Granted, I don't live where you would see them together, but ravens are so much bigger than crows, every time I go up north it strikes me how amazingly big ravens are, and those crazy deep, croaking voices they have, they seem so different - but again, I never see them together :) The biggest difference I notice is exactly on their range map - the farther away from people you go, the more ravens you seem to see. There are ravens in town, but they are so noisy if you head out to the lakes and forest, there must be hundreds of them, it's very cool. 4. I think the other song birds that visit our feeders really benefit from having the crows around - they chase off the red tail and the sharp shinned hawk regularly, and the sharp shinned hawk has killed at our feeders, so I'm glad the crows are there to run them off, though I do realize the hawks need to eat too, it's pretty gnarly to witness. In spite of their bad reputation, I have never had problems with the crows at the feeders, it's the grackles that seem to cause all the difficulties, and bully and kill the other birds. No one is sad when the grackle parade leaves for the winter.
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(1) If my neighbor complained about the American Crows killing songbird nestlings, I would inform my neighbor that although the American Crows kill some songbird nestlings, the majority of the killing of songbird nestlings is done by squirrels, chipmunks, and snakes, and that crows kill far less songbird nestlings than some other birds and small to medium mammals. (2/3) I used to live near Toronto in Ontario, Canada. There I often saw the American Crow, and I don't recall seeing the Common Raven. I now live in Southern California and I see both the American Crow and the Common Raven most days. I have not seen a nest for either. One of the main differences I see is that when I see American Crows they are usually in a group. I may notice only one at first, but once I look around I usually see several more nearby. With the Common Ravens I usually see them in pairs, often appearing to be playing in the wind as they soar around overhead together. I often go to Torrey Pines State Reserve, where you are almost guaranteed to see at least one pair of Common Ravens.
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1. I would first empathize for their love of baby songbirds... then gently inform them: a Jay is more likely to kill those birds than crows.. Squirrels are the reeeaaaal culprits, there! 2. I saw many American Crows living in Florida. I am now in southcentral Alaska and... we have much, much larger crows. Tons of them, too. They like to play with my dog.. I could.. look for... nests.. of Northwestern crows.. I've seen many eyries, but I'll look closer for smaller nests... 3. Although not American crows, I can observe Northwestern crows and ravens (Valdez, AK.. fairly remote). Crows are in town/closer to the harbor, interactive/friendly, and travel in larger groups. Although there are some ravens that come into town, they are usually alone and keep their distance from people (although.. the ravens in Anchorage are bold- not friendly). As far as Valdez, there amount of ravens increase as you head out of town/into the mountains. As far as interaction goes.. I've had plenty of adorable experiences with the crows. Last winter I had baked cornbread muffins before work to share.. As I walked to work, I was stalked by this one crow. The crow kept flying just ahead of me, landing, then made eye contact. I spoke to it like, "hey man, these muffins are for ma work mates." After a while, the crow- instead of landing on fixtures ahead of me- started to swoop in just ahead of my walking path, flying away before we intersected. Eventually I gave him a muffin.. breaking it up a bit along the path.. very charming bird. During the summer, when I first brought my adopted dog home (he's a husky, might be mixed with coyote... he's from the bush...), another interesting instance occurred with a crow. While walking, this crow lands on the fence, a little over eye level to me but not even 2 feet away, and starts cawing at my dog. Didn't even look at me, just starts talking up a storm to my dog. I had never experienced this before, so naturally I try shooing the bird away, but the crow stays there.. cawing. I later learned that crows and wolves/coyotes have a strong relationship in the wild.. and that crows really like playing with dogs, in general.. In comparison, I have zero stories like this about ravens. They get uncomfortable whenever I've tried to get close (very easily done with crows), but! I've had some luck making calls back to them. If they are high up in a tree, making their cool noises and such, I'll make the noises back. Either they will fly away/ignore me OR they will keep making noises/changing them up. They always keep their distance, though. It was difficult telling the difference, as these Northwestern crows are large. They do share similar traits with American crows, like the rounded tail feathers, pointier beaks/less rounded than ravens.. It will be much more easier to differentiate them now. 4. Wolves and coyotes benefit from crows. They will alert them to predators and, in turn, the dogs will share the meat of their kill. They kill off pests, which is great for us humans. To be honest, I'm not sure who else benefits from them.. As for birds, they do like picking on the bald eagles. I've seen a bald eagle land on a large, black cottonwood in my yard.. the tree had 2 crows initially. A few moments pass, a few more crows land in the tree. When the sixth crow landed, the eagle was visibly nervous and flew off.. dipped his soar about 6 feet above our heads, breathtaking. I suppose the crows intimidating the eagle out of the neighborhood could potentially help protect other nests in the area.. The property was lined with spruce trees and houses many songbirds year round. Maybe the crows were just protecting their grounds..
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Are the white feathers on an American Crow a function of age or is it just genetics. I recently had binoculars on some of them that had gathered in my backyard checking out their white feathers and couldn't help but notice that some of the birds had been badly pooped upon. LOL. Obviously, they were roosting in the lower branches. I've been there myself, at times.
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I’m no expert but I suspect the white feathers are often growing white over areas the were once injured. I have a crow buddy that has adopted me and he has one small ares on his chest that has a spot of white feathers smaller than a dime for over a year now.
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I live in Northern Indiana, and have been feeding the crows through the winter. About two weeks ago, I noticed a red tail hawk land in a maple tree above the spot in the yard where I placed the birdseed for the crows. Five or six crows appeared and immediately chased away the red tail hawk, cawing the whole time.
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Is a blackbird part of the crow/raven family?
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I'm not sure what species of blackbird you mean–it's a bit of a confusing term. But no, blackbirds are not in the family Corvidae with crows. Corvids include crows, ravens, magpies, jays, and some others. New World blackbirds, such as red-winged blackbirds, are in the family Icteridae. Eurasian blackbirds are in the family Turdidae, thrushes. Hope that helps!
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1. I would explain that statistically squirrels are larger predators of songbird eggs/young than crows BY FAR. I would also mention that they keep the rodent & insect population down which is great news for the ridiculous landscaping these people invest in. 2. I have a few crows that come to feed in my yard every day. There is a small murder in a nearby field and I've seen them go back to roost. Farther away, in the city, I have seen a huge murder of over 1,000 crows come back to roost and it is the most magical thing to see. 3. I live in Michigan and there are ravens only in the Upper Peninsula which is about 6 hours away. We do make a trip up there in the summer but I've never gone birdwatching there. Now I know what to look for! 4. In my little avian paradise, the crows are the old ladies who sit in the window. They see EVERYTHING and aren't afraid to alert the other birds. We feed lots of finches and doves and when the Cooper's hawk makes an appearance they alert everyone to get out of dodge.
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Number 2) Live in lower Manhattan in NYC. Have seen some fish crows in and around Battery Park. I only know this because a guide from the Audubon Society pointed them out. The Battery is overrun with squirrels and it does get a good amount of migrating bird stopovers. There is also a compost heap nearby... so lot's to scavenge and forage. Wonder why we don't have more crows.
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I never heard of fish crows. Is that an actual species or is it a colloquialism? What is the connection to fish? Do they feed upon them? Do they skim the Hudson looking for fish? I'd be interested in knowing more.
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@Robert Fish crows, Corvus ossifragus, are another species of crow. You can learn more about them on the All About Birds site here.
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I live in a suburban neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area. There is a tall verge of trees that borders this subdivision, and it has always been home for lots of crows for many years. They are active, noisy, and raucous, and I always wonder what they are talking about. And I wonder if they know me from putting out birdseed. They do alert everyone if there is a hawk or other predator in the area. I actively feed the birds in my backyard and have tried putting out peanuts for the crows, but they never come in my yard. The squirrels get the peanuts. I see in the comments that many people are successful in feeding crows in their yards. The only exception was many years ago in the spring for a few years only the crows would come in my yard, tear out the newly planted flowers from their pots and get a beak full of dirt for their nest. I was mystified as to who was doing this until I watched one doing it. They are very clever. They often perch on the telephone pole and the lines across the backyard, I guess as sentries, usually one at a time but sometimes a whole group. Several years ago I was able to call my city to rescue a crow who had a foot caught up in a guy wire on the telephone pole. I always wonder if that crow would recognize me. I am surprised that most of my neighbors simply tune out the crows cawing. When they are making a big fuss, I look around to see what's up and often it is something quite interesting. At twilight they really fuss a lot and fly around as they roost and settle in for the night. I wonder if they are telling each other about their day?
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Janet, If you're routinely putting seed out for the songbirds in your yard, the crows, for sure, are noticing. A couple or three years ago, I saw on PBS Nature a story about American Crows and facial recognition. I believe the study was done in Seattle or Portland. The study determined that crows over time can recognize whether a person is friend or foe, and can supposedly remember a person's face for up to two years. They can even recognize your gait. I walked out onto my carport this morning and a crow in a distant deciduous tree immediately started cawing. It probably thought I was getting ready to put more bird food out, but unfortunately for him or her, it's been raining all day. Enjoy the course!
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I live in Allentown PA and we've had 43" of snow during the past four weeks. It's been a harsh Winter. The attached picture was taken from my kitchen window, which is about 20' from the feeder. I now have a much greater appreciation of American Crows having taken this fine course. I know how to properly identify these birds and look for the gentle curve of their tail feathers while in flight. For a fairly large bird, I'm quite surprised how skittish they are, very much like Cardinals in that regard. I can barely get to within three feet of my kitchen window before they sense my presence and scatter in all directions. Even turning my kitchen sink faucet on will, at times, spook them. The other day, I saw one Crow with two peanuts in its mouth. I also saw six Crows patiently waiting for a squirrel to finish eating beneath my feeder. They had the squirrel completely encircled at a distance of about three feet and must have waited nearly five minutes before the squirrel raced away and scampered up an evergreen. I was surprised that they didn't rout the squirrel. I enjoy listening to the Crows talking to each other while perched atop trees that are a full city block apart. Often, their caws literally volley back and forth. A couple of years ago, I saw a badly injured squirrel that had been hit by a car laying on the shoulder of a busy road in town. The squirrel was still alive, albeit barely, but that didn't stop a Crow from pecking away at it, delighted at the prospect of eating a very fresh meal. That sight still haunts me. Nature can be cruel.
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I think I created my own Frankenstein Monster! I just estimated between 40 and 45 American Crows in my very modest backyard this afternoon. Of course, I've been spreading birdfeed and peanuts around on the ground because of the harsh winter, as evidenced in the picture that I previously submitted. I expected them to come, albeit in not such great numbers. The timing couldn't be more perfect, because it coincided with my choosing to take this course and, believe me, I have no regrets about doing so. I learned a lot about these birds because of it and have come to greatly appreciate them. Nevertheless, I hope the neighbors don't run me out of the neighborhood on a rail! I'm counting on the Crows' departure about the end of March, based upon what I learned.
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Number 3) I live in eastern Massachusetts, where American Crows are much more frequently seen than the Common Raven. However, the Common Raven is seen in certain areas occasionally. One such place where I've seen both the American Crow and Common Raven is Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord MA. Most recently, I observed a group of crows and a raven interact. It was clear to me that crows and ravens must not get along well at all based on that interaction. The raven (whom I identified by relative size to crows, tail profile, and flight behavior of more gliding than consistent flapping) was being mobbed by the crows, and at one point a crow from above dived at the raven but the raven went up-side down with talons outward and the crow diverted. It all happened very quickly but was amazing. That I could see the Raven's feet from the distance I was viewing from really gave me a good idea of how large the Common Raven really is (not that crows are small birds generally either). Regularly in this location for the past winter, I've also seen a group of about 5-10 crows mobbing a Red-Tailed Hawk that frequents the area, along with a few Bald Eagles. The instance in which I saw the crows mob the adult Bald Eagle was quite a sight as well.
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I live on six acres in a wooded area near Beaufort, SC. About 7 years ago a group of 4 crows showed up in the yard. After about a week of watching, I started feeding them peanuts that I placed on a post in the yard. A couple weeks later I found a nice white stone on the post. I asked my husband if he put the stone there, he did not. A few days later a burned piece of wood from across the road from a prescribed burned area, was on the post. I got so excited I started taking pictures of the presents that would show up. This lasted for some time, but now there are no more presents on the post. However, the crows are now 6 in number and still arrive in the morning for a handout and a “ loud discussion” about their day. They will sit close by on a pine limb and wait for me to put out the peanuts. It is a ritual we both look forward to. The crows are some of my favorite neighbors. Noel
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3) I live near the NH sea coast. I have seen both crows and ravens, and I love seeing them both! I have always thought t was amazing how intelligent the crows are. I have noticed that the ravens tend to be more aggressive than the crows, often displacing other birds in my yard when they visit. The crows will often sit in the pine trees in my backyard until the ground under our bird feeders until it is clear- then they will go grab their food! That you for that amazing video- I've learned so much already!
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Hi Thanks for the interesting talk. If my neighbour complained about crows predation of song birds, I tell them about snakes and squirrels. I was curious as to why cats didn't show up on the chart. I've heard they eat hundreds of millions of song birds a year in Canada. I live half the year on Vancouver Island and half the year in Algonquin Highlands, Ontario - think lakes, balsam, white pine, silver birch forest. We have both in both places. The big difference I have noticed is that ravens tend to be solitary whereas crows flock. Also, their vocalizations are so different. In Ontario, we have lots of blue jays which dominate the feeders and intimidate the other birds except the hairy woodpecker.
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About six years ago, during a hard winter, 4 crows showed up at one of my feeding stations; two adults and two juveniles. They made it noisily clear that they needed some food and so I fed them! So for the last six years I have fed anywhere from 4 - 50 crows an early morning snack. And then they go away until the next day. Yes, they are noisy but a tree full of crows is a lovely sight! As yet, however, I have not received any gifts in return! Still waiting!
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1. I was shocked to learn that squirrels and chipmunks are way more of a threat to eggs and baby birds than crows.
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1. I never heard that crows eat baby birds - now i do. So in the future i will be sure to share my knowledge that crows are not the most likely critter who is eating baby birds in our neighborhood. 2. Crows have made a sudden appearance to my Propery home on a lake in NW New Jersey this past summer. They are very loud and they do get up wayyy to early- however, they are great at letting me know when there is trouble in the bird world with regard to other predatory animals... I have no idea where these crows roost - but it must be close by as they are at my property as a place to hang out or pass through several times a day in summer. 3. Unlikely i would see a raven - but the “pointers” you shred will help me identify them in the future. I will take note in their behavior if I should see one going forward. 4. I do know that the crows that visit my home are great at letting the other song birds and ducks know that there is danger in the area. That is certain. They are watch dogs - I have witnessed that myself often - and i have seen them what i believe would be defending the area from some raptors in my area. I suppose their voracious and varied eating habits are helpful to some.
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1. I live in a subdivision in eastern North Carolina. For a long time, it seemed like we never saw crows around. When a murder showed up in our neighborhood, the neighbors started complaining about them. I didn't know there were so many things that ate baby birds... but I certainly know now where crows fall in that category. I would think that in our neighborhood the squirrels and the hawks definitely have a feast. I feel comfortable explaining to the neighbors that the baby birds have other things to fear besides the crows. 2) I have read a lot about crows and I have started feeding them in my backyard. My neighbors don't like this because they think they are noisy. I have tried to educate them about how smart they are. They come daily and squawk for me to feed them. I really enjoy them and look forward to their visits. I like to see them fight off the squirrels and I enjoy the airshows they participate in when they are aggravating the hawks. 3) I do not live in an area with ravens but I have seen them in the west on some hiking trips I have taken. They are impressive! 4) I have an environmental science background so I understand how important it is to have things around that eat lots of things. There are some animals that I don't love having around, like most folks.... like snakes, vultures and mice, but they all have their purpose and have their place in the food chain. Just recently I heard the crows in my yard making the biggest racket I had ever heard them make. They were so noisy they got several dogs barking too. When I looked outside there was a very large fox in our backyard. They were definitely on neighborhood watch. One of my neighbors heard them and brought her dog in off the deck, which was a good thing.
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1)Your neighbor is complaining about the American Crows killing all the songbird nestlings. What would you say to him/her? I learned from my course on Crows that snakes are the greatest predators to songbird nestlings, followed by squirrels their cousins, for example, chipmunks. Although crows would love to eat songbird nestlings if given the chance, in reality they account for a tiny fraction of predations, next to the last in ranking (last being deer!). 2)Where have you seen American Crows? Based on what you learned in this lesson, see if you can locate a crow’s nest (keeping a respectful distance) and share what you found. I live in Dallas, Texas and have seen crows in my own backyard where I have four birdfeeders. They look for food on the ground, and don't visit the birdfeeders. However, other birds seem to fly off when crows arrive. I'm glad you mentioned grackles - those birds are in HUGE flocks around here. They can be seen roosting on electrical lines at dusk, in some places sothick they're on every line and perch in an intersection. I also have land southwest of Ft. Worth. We have many crows that fly by our cabin in morning and dusk, cawing like mad! I have never tried to find their nests, but that would be interesting. I did not like crows until I read the book, Covid, and now I am a fan! 3)You’ve seen the range map for the American Crow. Here is the range map for Common Ravens. Do you live where there are both species? If so, can you now distinguish between them? What differences have you noticed in their behavior? We do not have ravens where I live in Texas, but I now I see the differences. 4)What birds and other animals might benefit from having crows around? Why? How? Since crows will alert to predators like hawks, all birds can benefit from their presence. In the city, perhaps small outside animals would also be alerted, such as squirrels. I have red tailed hawks that try to pick off birds that are feeding in my backyard. Although I haven't seen a crow at the same time as a hawk, I have seen blue jays go crazy when the hawk arrives. They make a real racket!
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Question 2. I am located in Charleston, SC and have only seen the American Crow here. I started feeding a murder of crows nearby our church, and now they come flocking to my car every time I come to church! Once, a crow followed me from a coffee shop where I had purchased a coffee and met me at my church in the parking lot looking for food. He/she must have been familiar enough with my truck and my voice to know that I was the person who fed them!
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That is an amazing story!
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That's really neat!
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Question 3: I live northwest of the northwest tip of Lake Ontario in Halton Region, Ontario, about 20 km from the lake. In the past 3-4 years, we have both seen and heard ravens as well as crows in our area, winter and summer. Love that loud echoing croak they make! They now seem to be nesting a little further south than your range map indicates. There have been reports of others seeing them as well. The crows don't seem to appreciate having the ravens around as they mob them a bit. They are easy to tell apart by size when seen together but I can now use tail and wing shape to ID them when they fly over without the crow mob. Question 4: Last year we had a Cooper's hawk nest near our house. Crows would have harassed it and likely prevented the Robin nest predation. That hawk ate every chick. I don't begrudge it though. We have many many robins. I worried a bit more about the Indigo buntings I saw being chased by that hawk but I was VERY impressed with their dodging flight through thick branches until the hawk got tired and gave up!
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1. Your neighbor is complaining about the American Crows killing all the songbird nestlings. What would you say to him/her? One of the findings of a meta-analysis of nest predators was that squirrels and snakes are far more likely to prey on songbird nestlings than crows, which ranked almost last, just above white-tailed deer. Also, crows are technically songbirds because they are members of Passeriformes, so the net impact on songbirds as a group is zero if a crow preys on songbird nestlings. 2. Where have you seen American Crows? Based on what you learned in this lesson, see if you can locate a crow’s nest (keeping a respectful distance) and share what you found. I see crows everywhere there is human development. There are several crow territories on the university campus near my home. Every nesting season, the birds harass people as they pass through their territories. It's always startling to feel them hit your head, but also thrilling. 3. You’ve seen the range map for the American Crow. Here is the range map for Common Ravens. Do you live where there are both species? If so, can you now distinguish between them? What differences have you noticed in their behavior? There is overlap where I live in Seattle, but I have only seen ravens on one occasion, which coincidentally was today. On very first sight, I id'd the pair of ravens as hawks due to wingspan and shape, but realized they were ravens from color and bill shape/size as they flew closer. I was lucky enough to see ravens regularly when I lived in Southern California, and it was always easy to tell from crows by the fact that they were more often in open natural spaces, soaring and in pairs, whereas crows more often use powered flight and are in more developed areas. 4. What birds and other animals might benefit from having crows around? Why? How? Crows make it very well-known when a raptor is around and even drive them off, so anything that might be taken as a prey item by any kind of raptor benefits from having crows around. Owls, such as GHOW who do not construct their own nests, also benefit from crows by using their old nests. Parasites also benefit from the social behavior of crows as behaviors like allopreening provide dispersal opportunities.
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1. They may kill song bird nestling but other animals are a lot worst like squirrel, racoon and some species of insects. 3. American crow live in large number of individual mostly compared to raven which is not living in large number. 2. In coming days I will get out and try to find a american crow nest. 4. Insects and scavenger animal when American crow leave a carcass of a dead animal. Note: sorry for my english .
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My neighbor is complaining about crows eating baby birds. I would tell him that's statistically not true. they are only a 1-2 % predator of baby birds. Over 50% of nests with babies are eaten by snakes and squirrels or chipmunks.
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These are my answers for questions 1 and 2: 1. I would tell my neighbor that crows are at the bottom of the scale for eating songbird chicks. I would let him/her know that snakes, squirrels and chipmunks all eat more songbird chicks than crows do. 2. I have seen them only at my house scavenging the leftover birdseed and planning to get nestlings. For me, I find that smart, even though they have never succeeded, but, they have gotten very close to doing it.
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Those are great photos. Where do you live?
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Amazing picture. Thank you for sharing, Nancy!
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That is so cool!
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1. I would educate my neighbor that Crows are at the bottom of the scale for song birds nestlings. I'd let him/her know that Snakes, Squirrels and Chipmunks all eat more songbird nestlings than Crows do. 2. I've seen a lot of Crows flying over my house here in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Maybe now I can look for features to help me identify the, accurately. 3. It doesn't appear that I live where Ravens are common year round. If I see something that I think may be a Raven I'll know now to look to see if it has "diamond shaped tail," and I'll look to see if it has a long beak. 4. I've noticed that Crows "announce" their presence, and that may be helpful to letting songbirds and Squirrels know when possible "danger" may be around. Other birds may benefit from the Crows ability to hunt for food and letting other birds know where the food is.
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1. People have strong opinions about all sorts of wildlife, and just like we have experienced in politics, you will not change their minds. My immediate neighbor rarely notices wildlife, but for the most part the opinions are negative. But I keep trying. I was fascinated to read about which animals are guilty of nest predation, since I have recognized for a while now, that most wildlife eat whatever they can get. There are fewer vegetarians out there than we think. I was mildly surprised about White-tailed deer, but hunger and opportunity generally win. I'd love to learn more. I really think a dislike of Corvids is something people form early. They don't like large, noisy flocks of birds during migration covering the lawns and trees, and many think of birds as dirty. I accept all birds, even our two invasives - European Starlings and House Sparrows. I know this is an unpopular opinion. And there is nothing I can do about hordes of squirrels living where I do and with the number of trees around, so they all get to eat. 2 & 3. In Northeast Ohio, where I live, our Corvids are generally limited to American Crows and Blue Jays. However, in the winter, there are a few shopping plazas that are visited by large flocks of American Crows and within 20 miles of my home, Fish Crows. Much closer to me - 10 minutes - we have had Fish Crows as well. I like to visit the plaza and listen to the Crows since a Fish Crow is hard to distinguish from an American Crow unless they are immediately adjacent. In my local patch we have a smaller roost area that I have not located. I just see the large flock rising at certain times of day. Ravens sometimes visit in Ohio, but I did not find them when I visited their reported site. On the other hand I have very poor skills in flight ID. I keep working on it. 4. I benefit from Corvids. I love the different calls they make. I have a Blue Jay near me who has been mastering his Red-shouldered Hawk call (it's fooling me more each year) and witnessed a Jay with a Titmouse song that was truly perfect. An actual titmouse was responding to it. If I use Jays and Crows to clue me in about possible raptors and owls, it's obvious the other creatures do as well. I get more Jays giving warnings than Crows, and the birds always react. If it's really a serious threat, the crows pile in and even the smaller songbirds will fly to the possible enemy to harass and chirp. Crows and Jays also do this to clear the feeders so they can take over. It's always a good day when there is so much to observe
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1 I have never witnessed a crow eating a baby bird or invading a nest. We live in the piedmont area of the blue ridge mountains. We have black snakes and they love to get into nests and bird houses. We often use a snake guard to keep them out. 2. We have tonnage of crow where we live. I have had admiration and curiosity about them for years. I grew up on a farm in North Dakota and my dad used to put “boomers” in his sunflower fields to keep the crow out. We live in Virginia and I feed the crow. A friend who has a wildlife rescue sanctuary suggested I feed them dog food instead of “scraps”. They know when I am coming and call to each other that breakfast is ready. They do not want to be my friends as much as I would like that. 3 we do have both species of crows and ravens. Only recently have they been showing themselves. Otherwise you would need to go up into the blue ridge mountains to glimpse them. A few years ago I thought I heard one and keep hoping to see one. In the past couple years I actually see them flying overhead, riding the currents. Their voice definitely identifies them when you can’t see them. 4 they definitely keep track of what’s happening in the area and are not shy about sharing their info. Love them!
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1. Your cat kills more songbirds than a crow does! 3. Yes! When you see their size it's easiest to tell. The tail is hard to distinguish in flight to tell them apart. 4. Alerting smaller birds and mice to danger from hawks or other predators.
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I live a mile from the Pablo Wildlife (wildfowl) Refuge. It seems that sometimes the crows or ravens I see just fly for fun. You can't explain their amazing flight patterns, especially in pairs (!) as "looking for food". The pairs so often look like synchronized flying and then somersaults in mid air like Roller Pigeons (my neighbor has 50 Roller Pigeons). Maybe this course will talk about this flying-for-fun thing
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If people don't blame crows, then they point the finger at blue jays. Now I know to advise all these crow haters that crows are not the major predators on infant songbirds, that squirrels and snakes are. And many other birds benefit from crows' mobbing behavior, where they point out where owls and hawks are hiding via their loud calls and rapid flying around a raptor on a perch.
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3. I live in north central Illinois, outside the range of the Common Ravens. Our home is on a wooded 7.5 acres, across the road from nearly 1,800 acres of forest preserves (four of them, contiguous). The newest forest preserve was until recently covered by large areas of cultivated corn and soybeans. It will take several years for that land to be returned to prairie, as planned. So, although I haven’t seen or heard crows near our property, I suspect there are some in the forest preserve, and I’m planning to search for a roost in the woods. Since the fall harvest was completed only in late November, there should be plenty food for the crows to forage, still. I hope so. The American Crow has been my favorite bird for many years, and I’m eager to observe them more closely and knowledgeably after taking this course. I’d also love to attract some to our yard, even though I know they are not known as feeder birds. If there were also Common Ravens, I think I could distinguish them now.
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1. Research on predators of songbird nests indicates that crows are not frequent predators, though they do at times engage in this behavior. Snakes and squirrels are much more likely to invade nests and destroy eggs and nestlings. 2. I have seen American crows frequently in my yard and all around the area where we live in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. I have not spotted a crow's nest. 3. I live in an area where there are both species, but I do not believe I have seen a raven - or perhaps I was just unable to identify one. The crows I see most often are around our property. I notice them often under our bird feeders or picking up livestock feed that we set out for wild animals. 4. I believe that our songbirds may benefit from the presence of crows, because they all a danger alert. We have hawks nearby, and I have seen crows chase the hawks.
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1. I would tell them that all the chipmunks and squirrels running around the yard are the bigger culprits. I would also refer them to the chart shown in the lesson if they were interested. 2. I have seen a lot of crows in town (Langley, WA) Usually hanging around close to where people are dining outside. I have also seen a lot of them in particular trees. They seem to have their favorites. It is the wrong time of year for nesting. 3. We have both Ravens and crows where I live. The crows are mostly in town, and the Ravens farther out. Where our house is we are lucky enough to have both grace our yard. The crows usually come in large groups and often seem to be up to something, as the ravens are often just 2-3 individuals. I do love the raven vocalizations and wing beats. 4. We have lots of owls in our area, I would imagine they benefit from the nests crows build. I know we benefit from having the crows keep the rodents in check. The crows are also pretty good about letting everyone know if there is an eagle in the area.
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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.
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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.
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I believe there can be a lot of variability from year to year and even from individual crow to individual crow. We have always had lots of grackles nesting in the tops of a tall cedar hedge in our yard; and one year there was a family of crows that included an individual that was much larger than the others. This individual was very aggressive in its predation on the grackles whose nests were easy targets. It's aggressiveness and size led me to give it the nickname "Black Marauder". None of the other crows appeared to participate in these attacks. That crow has long since passed on and we only occasionally see this kind of behavior from the crows in our neighborhood. I have also seen some of the many chipmunks in our yard eat Robin's eggs and young.
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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
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Thanks for that nice picture. I've also noticed that Crows can really relate to each other. It must have been nice to have that pair visit you frequently.
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This brought a smile to my face. Thanks.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ooh, I think suggesting that your neighbor set up a camera to observe is a GREAT idea!
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I think that's a great idea to suggest your neighbor put up a camera to see what is getting into the nest. Brilliant!!
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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
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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
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Yes. Crows make good sentinels. They will give alarm calls if they spot something that could be a threat.
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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.
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I was very surprised also to learn that chipmunks eat baby birds! I had not realized until recently that squirrels did so, but in the spring, I witnessed a squirrel stealing a baby Mockingbird -- with one of the parents in hot pursuit -- which was a rude awakening. To think that these cute little chipmunks are also baby bird predators is an eye-opener.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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....
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Yes, I have seen them use the birdbath to dip their food as well!
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We also have a small dog and live in Southern California near bobcats and coyotes. I don't let him outside alone because of that, but I will definitely keep a closer eye on him when I hear the crows. Maybe listening for the crows will also help me to get some better photos of the bobcats. I'm often a bit too late with my camera by the time I spot one.
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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.
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I have no trouble believing that squirrels prey on songbird nestlings far more than crows. Squirrels prey on everything including your screens and wiring. I would not know where to look for a crow's nest. I do live where there are both crows and ravens but I don't think I've ever seen a raven. We have many crows and I love watching them. When several gather they just seem like they have important things to discuss. My house overlooks a river so I don't see the crows from my balcony, they're in the trees in the neighborhoods behind me. But the raptors come, flying over the river. We have many eagles and also Peregrines. When they venture into the crows' territory I can hear the crows, and I usually get to watch several, chasing the falcon or the eagle out of the area. My main reason for loving crows is their attitude.
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1. I would suggest instead she has a snake in the garden or perhaps it might be the squirrels that are feeding on the seeds from her bird feeder. 2. We have lot's of bird, and crows in Montauk, NY. However the most fascinating Crow Jamberie I have ever seen was at the Rincon Center on Mission Street in San Francisco. Each Fall literally hundreds meet for a few days at dusk to perch and caw on the former SF Post Office for a crow-fest or maybe they are ravens ??? 3. Now on east coast; no ravens. But on west coast, both. Size and sound are the easiest differentiators; then hairy feathers. Just learned about the feather count in flight. Will be a great tool. 4. In Montauk, we have lot's of bird varieties...The crows act as the sound alarm for danger for the smaller birds. Once the crow sounds out, generally the Jays, Cardinals and Red Wing Blackbirds start making noise tool. I have seen two crows chase a hawks that could be dangerous for smaller birds.
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2. I’ve seen crows all over the place, including on my house and in my front and backyard in places. Never been able to find a nest, though. 3. According to the maps, I live in a place that hosts both crows and ravens year-round. I have seen both, and can better distinguish them now. We don’t see ravens often enough to notice behavior patterns here. 4. Other crows, at least.
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1. The snakes & squirrels/chipmunks kill the most. Crows will do it if possible, but they’re way down the list, with deer & below ants. And crows are more fun.
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I am on Cape Cod on the coast in MA and we do not have ravens. Often crows are quite common and numerous and common to see. Lately I have just occasionally been hearing them, and seeing them infrequently, including singly, at the beach. Somehow I have come to associate their sound with fall ... we'll see. One thing I love about them is that when I hear them "mobbing" it tells me to stand still and watch for a while, and generally I will see a beautiful hawk being chased off by them, and other smaller birds. I assume, in this way, they are benefiting the other smaller birds - sending up the hawk alarm, and all. I will ask some more experienced bird watching friends for some help in finding a nest --- I never thought to look and would not have a clue where to find.
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To neighbors who complain about crows eating baby birds, I would point out that many other animals eat them and in far greater numbers than crows do. We don't have chipmunks here but we do have plenty of squirrels, raccoons and possums and they all eat more nestlings than crows do. We don't have to look far to find crows. There are plenty in our California neighborhood. We do also have ravens. In addition to the clear size difference, and the noticeable difference in tail shape, crows tend to hang out in large flocks and ravens don't. I've not usually seen more than 2 ravens at a time. Alarm calls from crows alert all the birds in the neighborhood to the presence of danger. We've seen that with the resident red-shouldered hawks.
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I would tell my neighbor that I used to feel the same way and if he actually saw the crow taking baby birds, it would be hard to argue but if he didn't, I would tell him about the whole "squirrel thing." My dad used to HATE crows for that very reason but now he says that he has decided that the crow can't help what he has to eat and that most animals eat live things so he's eased up on the crow hate. I'm actually very relieved to know that it's squirrels that do more damage to baby birds. I've lived here in the Pacific Northwest and in South central Alaska and always see crows. Alaska seemed to have a lot more ravens than we get here - at least that I can see. There are usually WAY more crows present anywhere I go. I'd love to spot a nest. I don't think I've even noticed one. I can usually distinguish between the crow and raven. I got all but one right on the quizzes above! The raven seems less interested in garbage and people food. The main difference is the voice. I suppose the crow is good at annoying the crud out of eagles and hawks and making them move along. They also pick up a lot of road kill and scraps of people food from the ground.
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I live part-time in the Coachella Valley in Palm Desert, CA. We have both crows and ravens, though see many more crows. There is a program at The Living Desert here to make restaurant owners/managers aware that open dumpsters attract these birds. Having larger populations of ravens, particularly, is a problem for the endangered desert tortoise. When the young ones hatch, they are easy prey. Actively attracting them to areas where the tortoises are living and breeding is further endangering these wonderful creatures. The education has proved beneficial, as participating restaurants have begun closing or covering their dumpsters on average an additional 43 days annually. Some progress!
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While crows will eat the occasional baby bird, they eat only slightly more than white tailed deer do. I see the American crow daily in my neighborhood and very often in our yard as we feed them peanuts. We don't have Common Ravens in our area. I live in Alabama. I think birds and other animals benefit from crows in at least a couple of ways. We have hawks in our area and the crows chase them away. They also yell loudly when there is a predictor around, such as a cat, which warns other birds and small animals. I haven't seen anything in the lesson yet for me to know how to locate a crow's nest.
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Just curious: After finishing this first lesson, should I know how to id a crow's nest? I did not see any material on that yet, but I am hopeful to learn about it. If my neighbor were badmouthing the crow I would tell him what I told my son this afternoon: Crows don't really eat baby birds. You mine as well hate dear, because they ate pretty much the same amount of baby birds as deer did. I would also point out that if he does want to blame a creature for the destruction of those nests, he should look to the squirrels and chipmunks that he thinks are so "cute." I live nee NYC, and I though in my small city we don't see a ton of crows, I have noticed fish crows nearby more and more. I am wondering, what is the link between the American and fish crow? Are some of their behaviors similar? Is the only way to distinguish them by the sound of their call? I noticed that I do not see any fish crows on the ID with the ravens. Is it possible to tell them apart?
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I don't actually remember where in the course Dr. McGowan described crow nests. However I will tell you that they are very large very difficult to find. They are typically built near the top of a tree in a dense area of vegetation which makes them typically hard to find. Here in the Ithaca, NY area the American Crows often build them in the upper portion of a conifer tree but once in awhile in a deciduous tree. However if places like San Diego they nest in palm trees too. Usually they are built so hidden one can't obtain photos of them. However I will link you to some that were not hidden as well usual. https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/228943851 Nest in Wisconsin Their nests are very well built and strong. Other birds will use or even steal a crow nest and use it for their own nest such as a Merlin or a Great-horned Owl.
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The spot that he describes where to find crow nests and shows images is in this topic: Crow Research Techniques
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1. Using the graphic in this lecture, I'd say that besides deer, crows prey on baby birds the least and that biggest predators of baby birds are snakes in the south and squirrels and chipmunks in the north. 2. I've been to 47 states and 5 provinces and have seen American Crows in all those places. 3. We don't have ravens where we live now but we see them often when I visit family in the Pacific Northwest. The size and beaks help me tell them apart. I've not observed enough raven behavior enough to distinguish them by that trait. 4. Our flock of chickens benefit from having crows around because not only do they sound the alarm when they see hawks (primarily Red-tailed and Red-shouldered, but often also Coopers, in our area), they also mob them, giving the chickens time to run and hide.
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1. I would probably tell my neighbor that squirrels kill more baby birds than American Crows; if they did not believe me, I would simply tell them about the study showing how squirrels and chipmunks kill more nestlings than raccoons, cats, and weasels, and that squirrels kill almost as many baby birds as snakes. If she (or he) still complains, I would probably say "I'm sorry you feel that way." Then, I would probably leave. :)
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The squirrels and songbirds in my yard are warned by the flock of crows who visit everyday, whenever hawks and cats enter the yard.
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I would try to educate them that snakes and squirrels are bigger predators. I would try to educate the neighbor as to the amazing things that crows can do.
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12/27/19 1. I would ask the neighbor if they actually saw a Crow kill a songbird. I would show the neighbor the statistics. I would tell them to watch the Starlings and Blue Jays because those two are the real culprits. 2. I have seen a Crow nest and decoy nests. Their nest is large and full of sticks. Their decoy nests are not as full as their real nest. They chase Ravens away. 3. I live in Maine. We have both American Crows and Ravens. The Ravens that swing through have a more throaty sound. They are much larger than the Crows. 4. Seagulls and Starlings benefit from having Crows around. As soon as the Crows start talking the others come around.
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1. I will tell my neighbor that squirrels and chipmunks are the biggest predators of baby birds and that actually jays and crows are near the bottom of the list , along with deer . 2. I have 3 crows that come to visit in Hamburg Twp., Michigan. They like walking along the middle of the dirt road, maybe pecking for salt in the winter. They will also look around in the leaf litter and under the feeders. I would like to find a nest, but most likely their nest is on private property in the woods beyond my neighbor's home. 3. The raven is not found near me, but maybe I can see one sometime in northern Michigan. I will note that the crow has more rounded features than the raven and 5 longer wing feathers . 4. Owls will use nests left behind by crows. They also warn other birds of hawks, become the prey of larger predators, and help spread seeds. They help keep the food web in check by eating insects and rodents.
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I was surprised to learn that there is a crow hunting season in California where I live. Much of this seems to rest on the idea that crows destroy crops and kill waterfowl - negatively impacting farmers and hunters and carry West Nile virus. Curious to know the counter-arguments and statistics to these statements. https://www.wonews.com/t-CAGunsHunt_HuntingCrows_013119.aspx Guess I was surprised because on one hand they are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act 1918. Michele
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I live in Southern California in the wild lands and we have both crows and ravens. My neighbor actually has complained to me about corvids killing nestlings, so I was really happy to learn from the pie chart that crows make up a very small percentage of song bird predators. Next time I see her I will tell her that snakes and squirrels make up 50% of predators, followed by raccoons, ants, mice.. I am not sure yet how to locate a crow's nest. We had a pair of ravens in our canyon this spring and I wasn't able to locate their nest either. I see ravens more frequently than crows in our particular canyon, but I have seen crows in other areas near by, primarily in more populated neighborhoods in backyards, trash cans, and flying. I volunteer at our local wildlife hospital and have been fortunate to see both crows and ravens close up. It's more difficult to distinguish them in flight, but close up it's easier to see that the ravens are twice the size and have a more protuberant or "ugly" beak. The crows look like a sleeker, more streamlined, more elegant bird. I've been paying more attention to the differences in their sounds. I love all the gurgly sounds that ravens make. I'm not sure I've been around them enough to notice behavioral differences and I look forward to that. Owls benefit from crows being around because they like to use their nests. Crows are the "neighborhood watch" for other wildlife. They dispense seeds.
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I live in central Ohio where there are no ravens. Crows are common but not quite ubiquitous. Kevin McGowan mentioned in a video for the online crow course that crows(American) like pines and the tallest trees in the area for their nests. While working a fundraiser in a commercial area with less then optimal birding, I birded as I could. Crows were usually around. I observed one land in the top of an Eastern White Pine(Pinus strobus) tree in a bank parking lot across the street. Then it dawned on me. I looked around and saw no other close by trees of size, let alone pines. The foliage is dense so it is hard to make out a nest in there but I highly suspect there is. What is not to love from the crow's perspective? People provide these planted pines for housing, and fast food trash for board. Eastern Redcedar(Juniperus virginiana) is largely the only native conifer in the area. Sure, they could work to find food in natural areas, but why? They are smart. Gregory S. Allen
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I love crows. At first I didn’t. One day I was running in my neighborhood and a crow flew up low behind me and pecked me really hard on the top of my head. Then everyday it did that no matter what side of the street I used. Then it began to notice me a block away, cawing at me and continued to peck me on the head. Finally I avoided that street out of fear but a year later decided to run on it again. Sure enough, a year later, the crow saw me, flew down and pecked me hard on the top of my head. I could never figure out what I had done to that crow unless it was to inadvertently run under a tree where it had babies. Later I read about the University of Washington studies about how crows recognize faces and I became intrigued and started learning more about them. I have a crow experiment in my own backyard now that I will mention later.
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That is an awesome story Barbara. I too wonder what you did to invoke that negative attention! Our last dog once barked at some crows in front of our house. Afterwards, I didn't notice it at first, but my husband pointed out to me that when we walked along the front sidewalk they would start to congregate and fly from tree to tree and yell at us. I didn't initially piece together why they did this, until it dawned on me that they were following my dog. Thankfully they never attacked us the way they have attacked you. And thankfully they are able to distinguish my current dog (both golden retrievers) from the last one, and no longer chase us!
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Hi, everyone: I enjoy your comments about crows and ravens very much. Please keep them coming. I last wrote on 8/2/19 about finding a baby bird and a baby squirrel (on different days) in the water bowl I placed on the corner of our second-level deck. Today, my neighbor witnessed a crow bring a dead mouse to the water bowl. This bowl is a 12-inch diameter clay saucer that is often placed underneath a large clay pot, and I can see it from the third level of our townhouse. When I glanced out the window and saw something large in the water bowl I sent my husband out to "take care of it." That's when our neighbor reported that he watched a crow pecking at it. So, is the crow a predator or just a scavenger? So far, crows have brought these three animals as well as chicken bones, plant roots, and lots of bread products. They are very enterprising and like their food well moistened!
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1 American crows have actually killed about as many songbird nestlings as white-tailed deer. 2 Near trashcans 3 Crows live in the east more
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1 Statiscally, snakes and squirrels are the prime predators for song bird nestlings 2 I feed American crows in my backyard in southeastern NC I will look for nests on my walks in the future 3I don’t believe there are any ravens here and I have never seen one 4/crows warn of predators. I have seen the crows in my backyard chase hawks away.
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1) Crows actually are not the biggest culprit in killing baby song birds in fact it's more the squirrels and chipmunks that do the most damage. 2) I see them in my neighborhood. I don't know if I could see their nest, but will be keeping my eyes open now. I did watch a group of them chase an owl into a tree. Yelling at it the whole time. It was very interesting! 3) I've seen ravens in the Yellowstone National Park. I didn't at the time know if it was a crow or raven. Looking back now it was defiantly a raven. He was huge and had those beautiful neck feathers. 4) They seem like they can let other animals know there's a predator around. They disperse seeds and clean up road kill Lol.
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I have seen them in the western states. On the Madison River I watched them raise 3 Babies over the summer. I was fishing from a boat and their nest, mostly a pile of sticks, was in an indentation on a cliff face
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I live in Las Vegas NV and I took the class because I've always been interested in the 'crows' that spend the night in my trees sometimes or that you see feasting on all manner of stuff when you drive through the desert to California. jThe first thing I learned is that all those guys aren't even crows they're ravens . . . And while we have plenty of grackles all over (which I knew about) and plenty of ravens it does not appear we even have crows around. I'm still glad I took the course because I like birds and animals even if they don't live close by.
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I summer on the west coast of Newfoundland and there are plenty of crows there. They gather in our yard, where I sometimes throw Cheetos, and around my small compost pile, where I put out mostly vegetable matter but sometimes fish skins. Watching them fly across the field, bright orange Cheeto cigars in their mouths is a delight. Our cottage overlooks the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the crows love to soar on the updrafts and winds along the shoreline dipping and floating and playing with each other. They seem to wait for us to arrive every summer -we've been going there for 10 years- and may even be greeting our return. They help make the whole vacation so much more interesting and fun.
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I live in Northern New York where ravens are on the edge of their range. I see more crows than I do ravens, and the difference in size is very noticeable. I notice that on the few occasions where I have noticed ravens, besides the size, the wedge-shaped tail is a strong clue as well. Crows seem to hang together in larger groups than the ravens I've observed. And they can be the neighborhood watchers and warners of "danger in our midst." Last spring a barred owl spent some time in our yard (much to our delight), but it was crows that badgered it loudly to ward it off and send the alarm. They were very persistent. Recently a bald eagle perched in a spruce, accompanied by a team of crows loudly making the call!
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I live I Sacramento CA. The map shows an absence of ravens there.
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I live in Nevada County in the foothills of Sierra Nevadas ..Nothern California .I have feed Blue Jays and Shrub Jays for years, peanuts .. ..Love how they mimic my calls..(another story) then watched at close range, 10 feet away a crow I caught eating out of the trash can.. .. we eyed each other.. at that point I was hooked, we noth were.. ..At that point they were not common, just a few so decided to try and feed them.. I live in a HOA so found a tree quiet corner that no one used and started calling them.. figuring out they were as talented as the Jays! Then started feeding them a little daily .. Within a short period of time they would call me , land on my deck railing looking for a morsel.. I underwent knee surgery so was bedbound home bound for weeks and Covid .. at that point could not distinguish individuals except for their calls ..but there was 2 that would land right in front on the only window I could see out, a small window where I lay.. Incredible that these 2 knew which window in my 2 storied condo .. Eventually I healed.. then was able to go outside.. ..the main 2 ..they pair up for life I believe would wait until I was at the kitchen window high up in a Birch tree (they love the tallest tree) and call to me .. sometimes 5-6 of them in one tree.. .. out I would go and feed them.. .They are very cautious because of their size.. .. I called them they would chatter and circle.. long story.. I eventually had about 60 a day in a few short weeks and a family of ravens .. .. I believe they dont rely on one food source but scope more than several daily .Im not home all the time too but a few days return .. there they are on my deck again .. . they have their 'routes' and the crow that calls me (and mate) is what I call a spotter '.. This got to be a problem in the HOA ,so had to relocate to a safer place away from homes , as many people see them as pests.. I watched about 25 of them being corraled by a red hawke one night.. They stayed in that tree above my home for nearly an hour it was nearly dark when they flew away, which was unusuall as they bed down early evening .. never seen then stay quiet for that long all huddled close .. The spotter and mate know my car , so will follow me occasionally down to the bank find a tree above my car and call me when I exit the bank..it makes me laugh.. If I had guests parking in my driveway, they responded like' who are you' .. and would warn me.. interesting as I told no one , but the guests would ask me 'whats with those birds in the tree above your home' I eventually told my neighbour .. she laughed.. What! ..she did not believe me ..A few days later this same neighbour drove me down to fill my car with gas ( I wasnt driving yet ) At a 'very busy noisy AMPM' she gets out to fill up and there right behind my rear where two large crows ..just landed..within 2 feet from my trunk .. It was sad when I had to relocate them.. very very sad.. they called and called.. but the HOA was not pleased .. They eventually left after a few weeks and then I found a new quiet corner an empty large lot with trees down the road about a mile away .. So when Im home I visit go down there ..call them and in they come circling the trees calling to me .. The Ravens barely move when I drive in and call them.. The spotter and mate are never far away .. interesting how they seem to eat something in the gravel drive ..is it a mineral? And just love to watch them 'kinda jump up quickly' when they eat.. have not figured that one out yet.. do any other birds do this? Ive watched them around small flocks of birds , these wonderful creatures stay away from the ducking diving swooping of smaller birds . Its as if they are cautious of them because of their large size and not so nimble.. I have about 40-50 Crows and Ravens about 15.. although dont see them all together feeding as I did before So happy to join this groupand read your stories
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3. I live in Laguna Beach, CA. I feed both the Crows and Ravens. I noticed the beak difference, definitely the size and the sound they make. I especially watch one big raven, guessing male...named him “big poppy”. He’s 3 times the size of any crow in the murder I feed. I noticed that the crows and ravens don’t really interact. The murder I feed is approximately 15-20 birds. There are two crows that actually mimic human sound. One clearly says “hello, hello” and we’ve had short conversations, the other makes a few different noises, not quite sure what he’s mimicking, but “hello” comes out at the end.
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1. I would say that a songbird nest predation study was done in 4 different forests via a video camera so it was easy to determine who was entering the nest. Over half of the predations were from squirrels (includes savage but cute chipmunks) and snakes (mostly in the south). Other predators include racoons, insects, cowbirds, jays, crows and 2 out of the 245 recorded predations were from deer. So not to worry about crows ravaging baby songbirds. Look out for the squirrels. 2. I can see a conifer tree from my bedroom that houses a crows nest. I have watched (and listened to it for years). 3. I live in the NW where we have both ravens and crows. I associate ravens with higher elevations in the mountains and don't know that I have ever seen them in Seattle. I do not know any difference in their behavior....is there any? Living in different ecosystems does not necessarily mean they have different behaviors. And yes, I think I can tell the difference now. 4. Raptors will prey upon crows so that is OK as they need to end too. If there are any animals that hunt in association with crows (wolves, coyotes) that is a benefit to creatures in the ecosystem.
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That is so interesting (to me) that you associate ravens with higher elevations Sally. I live in the Canadian prairies (above N Dakota) so elevation is not a topic around here. Even though they do exist in my area, I mostly have always associated them with 'the North'. I am ashamed to admit that I actually didn't realise they lived in the western States until I saw the map. As far as different behaviours - my main distinction on that is that crows are gregarious and live in groups, whereas I believe ravens tend to be solitary.
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3. I live in the northwest of NJ. When we moved into our house, there was actually a pair of ravens that lived in our area. They have moved on... not sure where to. We could tell they were ravens by their size... if I look at one and think 'that's a BIG crow' I'll give it a second look and their calls. They were deep guttural sounds vs. the higher pitched 'caw'. There is now a family of crows here, so I'm guessing that they don't 'co-habitate' well. I haven't seen the ravens in our yard since the crows 'moved in'. I do still see ravens in and around the area, but not often. They are harder to spot. I'm kind of disappointed not to see the ravens anymore. We did name our house 'Raven's Roost'! It would be difficult to give up watching the antics of the crows though. 4. The other animals in the country-area I live in have definitely benefited. I feed the crows every day - just a little supplement, nothing major... so the other birds (including sparrows, blue jays, and even sometimes red-tailed hawks) and other animals (squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits) get some left-overs. I only feed them in the morning so I know the food will be gone WELL before dark when we see raccoons, coyote, and bear... which I would prefer NOT get used to my feeding them. As much as I love them, I do have to take the dogs out in the dark so don't want these guys hanging out close to the house as much.
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I have seen firsthand the unpleasant experience of a group of Crows raiding some House Sparrow nest boxes that were put up in front of a shopping center. If someone came to me complaining about that, I would, of course, first be empathetic to why they were upset. I would go on to explain that it is nature-survival. The House Sparrows often kill and/or drive out Bluebirds from THEIR nests. Common cats, both domestic and feral also prey on crows and other birds.If a person wanted to prevent Crows from attacking nestlings in the nestboxes people provided they can do research on hole sizes and ways to keep predators out. I live in Northeast FL and see Crows pretty much everywhere all year long. Have had the pleasure of having the same group/family come to my yard for several years. It became easy to distinguish individual personalities and my favorite part was when the youngsters would show up - just to listen to them learning to talk and watching them play with sticks and pretty much anything they could get ahold of. They are very adapted to visiting restaurant dumpsters as well. Unfortunately I have only been ably to spot Ravens North of here in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain areas of North GA> As for benefits to other animals, I think they serve as lookouts for prey animals, not only issuing loud warnings, but chasing off the predators. When they scatter food about during eating, I'm sure other birds/small animals eat leftovers.
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I decided to sign up to this course in order to try understand crows better. We have a family of 5 crows that nest in the tall trees near us each spring. About that time I set out a large saucer of water on the deck railing for robins, cardinals, and other small birds to bathe in. They are fun to watch. But the crows don't just drink the water. They also like also like to use it to soak chunks of dry bread before scarfing it down. This makes the water very messy, and I have to change it. Also messy are the chicken bones. Ugh! Even worse, this past spring crows brought freshly killed fledglings and even - once - a baby squirrel, to rinse in the water. But now it is July, and hot. The crows have gone somewhere cooler, but the robins still appreciate a daily bath. We live in Arlington, VA.
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That's interesting Lita that the crows regularly use the water to soak their food. I have a bird bath in my back yard, and a little drainage pond in my front yard, and both are heavily used (for drinking and bathing) by all the birds, squirrels, and even cats in the area. I have seen crows very occasionally drink from the pond, but I've never seen them bring food to it. I wonder if there is something more enticing about your saucer than my bird bath or pond. Maybe they like that your saucer is more shallow? Hmm...I will have to experiment next summer!
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Interesting ehst they do with your water... Ive not seen them drink my water.. other birds just not crows ..the water also is on the deck so probably a little intimidating for that wing span.. .
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2 and 3: I live in Southern New England and have always seen plenty of Crows in the area. Sometimes, birders will report seeing a Raven on a local email site, but I've never seen a Raven here. I do occasionally hear a Fish Crow. It can be tricky to single them out from the calls of begging juvenile Crows, but Fish Crows' calls seem higher-pitched. I've never seen a nest. I really enjoy the behaviors of Crows. A few years ago I took a series of photos of a group of Crows feeding in my yard on Pears that were on the ground around my very productive Pear tree. A juvenile Crow was constantly begging with both voice and body movements (mouth agape, wings partly opened and trembling) following one particular Crow that was feeding on pears on the ground. At one point, the juvenile Crow tipped over on the ground, wings tightly folded closed, yet still with mouth agape and begging calls! The adult near it completely ignored it, even as it lay for severals seconds on its side, loudly begging. Such "drama"! Nice try! Their behaviors continue to fascinate me and I'm eager to learn more via this course.
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GREAT STORY! Destined for the stage.
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The pie chart of baby bird mortality is misleading. “Snakes” is a suborder-level taxon and “Squirrels” is a family-level taxon, while “American crow” is a single species. Of course the number of baby birds eaten by every possible species of snake is higher than the number eaten by a single species of bird. A more accurate comparison would be to break down the “snake,” “squirrel,” and other groupings into individual species and see where the American crow ranks on that list. Alternatively, “American crow” and “jays” could be grouped together as “Corvidae” and compared to “snakes,” “squirrels,” and the rest. The exact numbers aren’t provided on the chart, but “Corvidae” would probably fall between insects and small birds as a cause of nestling mortality - not the largest cause, but not trivial either.
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Glad you made these points, Angela. For me, the important idea was the huge effect of chipmunks and squirrels. I had no idea they predated on baby birds, especially that frequently. I generally worry most about outdoor cats and raccoons where I live in Michigan - but we have lots of both chipmunks and squirrels. I know it's all part of the necessary order of things, but I get pretty attached to the bluebirds that nest in a box in the field next door.
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1 baby birds are a food source for many creatures, It would be interesting to put up a webcam and see just who is eating the baby birds. 2 I have seen crows in Albuquerque New Mexico 3 Where I live now there are only ravens 4. Owls sometimes use old crow nests for themselves
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Rosemary, I think the pie chart was based on using a webcam.
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I am responding to Topic 1. I would ask the neighbor if she had actually seen the crow killing the nestlings. If she hadn't, I would tell her that odds were that it wasn't a crow. Crows are opportunistic, and will eat baby birds if they come upon them, but it is much more likely that the predator was a snake, squirrel or raccoon, among other predators that eat baby bird much more often than crows.
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Owls can benefit by using nests that crows make.
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Crows give warning calls that alert other crows and also alert other birds and small animals to danger.
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After reading the responses to the question of crows eating eggs, it occurs to me that one should simply ask, "Do you eat eggs?" and smile sweetly.
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Good answer! They would probably say, "yes, but I would never eat songbird eggs". It's hard for people to see the hypocrisy because we put so much value on different species.
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1. I would say that, actually, it's probably a chipmunk or squirrel killing the baby birds. 2. I live in the city so any walk I take I'm likely to see 5-10 crows on it! 3. I do live where there are both species. I have seen a raven only once that I know of, at a bird sanctuary. They are enormous! So much bigger than a crow. It is easier to tell the difference between them up close. 4. Since crows keep insect and rodent population down, humans really benefit from crows! Crows also benefit everyone by spreading seeds and berries, so any animal who relies on seeds and berries would benefit. BONUS: I love to see crows and when I get up close to them you can really see them as mini raptors.
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1. I would tell them that snakes, squirrels and chipmunks are the bigger predator. 2.ive seen crows in all my travels in North America. We have a nest in a old old cedar tree that they built this spring using twigs and dead grasses from our yard. It’s about 40’ up the tree. 3. Yes we have both species where I live and what I’ve noticed is the crows live in the residential neighbourhoods and the ravens tend to stay at the higher elevations in the mountains. The ravens are not nearly as social although they are curious when we go off roaring in the mountains. We have about 70 crows in the neighbourhood murder. 4. I’m not sure how the crows benefit other birds, but I know they live in harmony with my other backyard birds and are not as intimidating as I’d have thought after studinying them for awhile.
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1) I would mention that snakes , chipmunks and squirrels actually have higher rates of predation than do crows. 2) I don’t see many crows near suburban area where I live. Most likely to see single crows spaced out along highway shoulder especially in rural ares. Never suspected crow nest, but will start to pay more attention. 3) No ravens likely in my area. Have seen crows. Recently on vacation on Grand Manan island, off coast of New Brunswick and found groups of crows and also ravens readily found.
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1. I would tell my neighbor that our local squirrels and chipmunks are the more likely nest raiding culprits. 2. Last year there was a crow's nest in our neighbors tall pine tree. I enjoyed watching the crow couple's teenage crow assisting with the young ones. 3. Ebird reports crows and ravens in our area. I have not confirmed a sighting of a raven yet, it is one of my goals. We also have fish crows in our area - every dusk 50-60 birds or more fly from the lake/marsh area at our local county park, heading north. They occasionally land in a clump of trees, then is disagreement all take off again. They also work on flushing out all hawks in their path. 4. The crow is my bird watching companion in that he tips me off to any hawks in the area. Here in southeast PA we have nesting pairs of Cooper's hawks, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed hawks. The birds at our feeders take their cue from the crows, who act like the local sheriff in our neighborhood.
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4. Crows act as scavengers which is a very underappreciated job. I'm fortunate to drive through a 6 mile stretch of state land every day to go to work and I often see road kill. The crows, and other species, take care of this quickly so I don't have to see it for too long or smell it as it decays.
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3. in edmonton canada. i find crows take over the city during spring, summer, and fall. the ravens are typically found in wooded areas outside of the city. in the winter the crows leave (assuming south) and the ravens take over the town. often on cold snaps of -40 i will see ravens huddled around exhaust fans of the local 7/11.
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That's interesting Matt. I live in Winnipeg - which has a very similar climate to Edmonton - and the crows do not leave here in the winter. I have only ever seen a raven inside the city once (that I know of - quite possibly I wasn't able to distinguish before this course) - and it was yesterday (in the winter). I always thought we didn't see ravens in the city because they prefer woodsy areas, but maybe it is also because the crows don't leave. I will watch the exhaust fans at the local 7-11 over the course of this winter though...maybe the ravens are congregating there after all!
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There are hundreds of crows in our town. They roost in trees downtown and poop on the sidewalks, hitting people once I a while. Lots has been done to try to get them to roost elsewhere, but to no avail. The issue is especially acute in winter.
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1. I would tell the neighbor that the many snakes, squirrels, chipmunks, racoons and opossums in the area are the greatest threat to songbird nestlings. 2. A murder of 6 to 8 crows permanently reside in my rural gated community that prohibits discharge of firearms. I live above a bluff line that defines Cane Creek gorge of Fall Creek Falls State park. A pasture with small lakes lie above my property. On the end of my property with state park, a crow nest was built in the crotch of Black Oak some 70 feet above the ground. Three crows with much chatter tended the nest when the fledglings took flight. 3. I live on southern Cumberland Plateau (mid-eastern Tennessee) where the crows, vultures and raptors are common. The raven is seen east of the Cumberland Plateau along the Appalachian range. 4. A lookout crow sounds a warning to group of crows below that other birds and animals hear that a predator or human intruder has been spotted.
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1. I would have to point out that one of my cats is a formidable huntress. (She is dying to catch a crow, although they are larger than she is.) But the 4 ft rat snake, the squirrels and raccoons, not to mention the raptors and owls and cowbirds all have better opportunities to go after nestlings. The experienced members of the passerine flock nest in other yards. The crows do try it on though. The mockingbirds kick up an enormous racket when they or the blue jays show up... their nest is high in a hackberry tree. 2. I have never spotted a nest. The resident flock has a lot of hillside to choose from. The crows visit when I dump out feeders on the driveway or toss out stale bread, chips or fruit. They always go after the peanuts first, stuffing in as many as they can manage. The sunflower seeds must be stepped on while they are hammered. Then they have to practically lie their heads down on the pavement to extract the seeds. Usually, they come alone or with 1-3 friends. 3. There are only crows where I live. The ravens are a couple hundred miles west. 4. The crows and bluejays make a terrific fuss when there are predators around, including me. They seem to run regular patrols around the territory. I hear them calling from one side of the peninsula to the other. I am told that they don't like to share space with grackles. There are certainly no grackles, (and not many blackbirds or starlings) on the ridge and peninsula where I live, but I have seen them foraging side by side at a nearby golf course, so that may just be hearsay. Not having grackles leaves more food for everyone else. Anything that eats grasshoppers helps the local herbivores.
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I live in Santa Cruz California. We have tons of crows around here. I don't remember seeing many at all 35 years ago. During the late fall, in our neighborhood, which includes a small park with some tall redwood trees, crows congregate in great numbers. There are other areas in town where this occurs also. They line up on the power lines across the street from my house. They stream overhead in great numbers to the land in the tall trees just a couple of houses from ours. They make a lot of racket and seem to be having a great time as more and more crows fly in to join the party. I have about 4 regulars whom have overcome their fear and sit on the fence waiting for me to put peanuts in the flat, hanging feeder. If the squirrels are there first, they wait until I chase them off. One or two of them know how to grab 3 to 4 peanuts at a time - a method which involves pushing the first peanut to the back of the throat. It's funny because there are 2 squirrels who will do the "3 peanut grab" also. I love the crows and think them handsome and intelligent.
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I appreciate your comment that you don't remember seeing crows 35 years ago. I also live in California in the San Francisco Bay Area. I moved to Alameda in 1988 and don't remember seeing crows then. But a few years later I remember hearing a loud racket and walking out my front door to see what it was. I looked down the street and there were at least 15 or 20 crows in a tree. That was the first time I recall seeing them in the neighborhood. Slowly the population has grown over the years. Where did they come from? How much has the overall crow population increased over the past three decades?
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I live in southern Maine, where both American Crow and Common Raven occur, though ravens are far less common and less visible where they do occur. I have both species nesting in the woods near my home. I find them very easy to distinguish both by voice and appearance in flight, though I never use size as a differentiator. Ravens tend to stay where there is much more forest cover and more mature trees. The ravens nesting near me have chosen a very tall oak deeper in the woods, but their nest is quite visible. I saw one of these adults approach the nest in mid-May carrying a baby robin. The nesting crows are right near my house in the tops of red pines, and there seem to be several helpers assisting at the nest. When distinguishing between the two species, it is also helpful to remember that ravens are almost always alone or (during breeding season) in pairs, at least in my experience. In my many years of birding, I have never seen a group of ravens except at a carcass. As to the neighbor who complains about the crows eating baby birds, I had a neighbor say that exact thing to me. I reminded her that her free-ranging cat is FAR more likely to be killing birds than a crow.
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I live in mid-New Hampshire, have both Ravens and Crows. We lived above Spokane, WA seeing Ravens often in groups up in the mountains since we lived at about 3500' If your neighbor really loves her cat, it would live 5-8 years longer if she kept it indoors. My first course, liking it very much. Dan
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1: I’d let them know we should be more concerned about squirrels and chipmunks in our area. 2: I have had a family of crows in my woods for several years now. I do not know where their nest is...yet. 3. In the part of New Hampshire that I live I generally only see crows. But when I hike in the White Mountains I see and hear ravens. 4: All things are connected. In New England we have a tick problem. Crows that feed on small rodents have the ability to break a link in the web of causation that causes disease in humans. The tick feeds on rodents, among other things, and then feeds on people, causing Lyme and other diseases. The crow is a welcome part of my neighborhood. It is also helpful for the same reason for the deer and moose populations as well as my dogs.
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1. I would mention that snakes and even squirrels are responsible for more predation. 2. We have many American Crows in our neighborhood, but I have never thought to look for a nest. 3. I live where both species are present.
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#1. I would point out that snakes, and especially in my area, squirrels eat more birds. I also agree that cats are a problem, although I am not sure if they are killing baby birds or adults. #2. I have crows in my neighborhood and in my backyard. I have no knowledge of where they are nesting. There is a marsh nearby. I would appreciate any tips on how to keep them from eating the plants in my garden. I have several bird feeders and they like to eat the seeds that fall on the ground. That's okay, but now they've started eating the plants. #3. I believe I live near both species, but until I took this course, I couldn't distinguish them. Now I will pay more attention to behavior. #4. As the video said, probably owls that use the nests that crows leave behind.
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Re. #1 - I would probably mention that outdoor cats are what we really need to worry about.
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I agree! Every cat that I own is an indoor only cat for that very reason. We have garter snakes, squirrels and chipmunks here in the northwest, thus hatchlings in our area are at high risk.
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I also agree with you, Ron. Even if I like cats, I would love for people to understand that cats should be kept indoors.
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I agree too! Cats should be kept indoors for both the bird's safety and theirs. I have a friend who rigged up a net along the top of the fence surrounding his back yard. The net angled in and his cats weren't able to get a grip and pull themselves over the net. That way they could go outside but not roam the neighborhood.
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A farmer in my area hates crows because he says they eat his corn seed when he plants. Is this true? I love crows. I have been feeding them for 15 years. Their favorite? Hotdogs! Each morning I put out 3 or 4, not cooked, of course. They love them, as they do pizza, and a dead mouse or two or chipmunk that I catch in my traps. I like to experiment with different foods, they don't like chocolate chips, at least mine don't. they love raw chicken. They actually sit next to a hawk in my walnut tree some winter mornings, waiting for me. It's a beautiful sight!
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Their are both here in CO but crows are in the neighborhood and ravens are more out of town.
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I am so pleased to see that the evil (non native) fox squirrels are the more likely predator and we do have resident squirrels. When I yell at the squirrels, the crows know they are not the ones being shooed away. There are many crows in my suburban neighborhood in San Mateo, California. This year the crows nested in the Ash in our front yard. The pair who normally come for walnuts were the "look outs" and cawed with vigor whenever we went in or out. After the nestling was big enough and had moved on to different trees, they started coming back for walnuts. Family duties come first. There is a somewhat wild area where I do volunteer restoration. The ravens play "keep away" on the updrafts with sticks or small prey. It is great fun to watch them. As to the benefits of crows; I have seen them mobbing the poor Cooper's hawks. No creature for miles around could be unaware of the hawk's presence.
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Why do mockingbirds follow, and seem to be harassing the crows? I also see the crows doing the same to hawks.
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I have heard these theories: 1.Male crows are impressing females by indicating how protective they are, thus are excellent choices for mates. 2. Crows (males) are genetically programmed to go after any bird that is intruding their territory. I wonder if Dr. McGowan agrees with either of these theories?
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Some species of birds will harass any other bird they feel is a threat to themselves, their nest, or their offspring. This harassment increases during the breeding season.
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I live in New Orleans, Louisiana and have been feeding and watching a family of crows and a pair of fish crows in my yard for years. Both kinds of crows seem to recognize me when I’m out walking-I don’t know how they can recognize me, but they follow behind or fly in front and caw whether I’m alone, with my dog, or with my children, and if I’m heading back for my house they wait in my Chinese elm or on the shed roof where I throw food for them. (They love unsalted peanuts in the shell, but sometimes I give them leftover roast chicken too.) One of the neighbors said they go after baby birds, but she feeds them too. I think attitudes about them have started to change, at least in the city. They are a daily source of joy for me. I especially love it when the baby crows are brought over by the adults toward the end of summer. I love how insistent they are about being fed. I am more than happy with the crows, but I do wish I lived some place where I could see ravens too.
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I would love to see ravens here, too! I live in Oregon and the ravens here are found in more remote areas such as deep in the conifer forests or near water falls. The only time I have seen ravens was when I hiked at Silver Falls a few years ago. I recognized their unmistakable "croak."
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Hi, I'm in Scotland, Britain, so we have a different crow- carrion crow, Corvus corone. We have the same species of Raven, Corvus corax. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where we have both. (We have 8 species of crow here in Britain. I regularly see all of them other than the Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), which I've never yet seen.) Carrion crows come into our garden for food. It's taken them a number of years to trust us enough to come in, and they now actually will come and ask for food. They love dog biscuits and apples, which they will pick up and drop in a water dish before eating. I don't know what the neighbours think of this! But they all know that we feed birds and no one has complained... yet. I do try and explain, to anyone else who complains about corvids taking baby song birds, that they are not the main predator, but yes, some folk are very prejudiced against the corvids. Your 4th question, - "What birds and other animals might benefit from having crows around? Why? How?" Well, because the Crows come in and ask for food, the local magpies and jackdaws benefit as they are much less wary and will nip in and grab biscuits before the crows have plucked up the courage, so they benefit! :-) I think the other corvids see where the crows 'stash' food, so again they benefit from an additional food source. The crows are alert for predators such as cats or owls (or humans), so other birds and animals will benefit from hearing their alarms calls if they have spotted one. On the downside of that, the crows don't bother about the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), so the song birds are not alerted to it's presence. At least then the sparrowhawk gets his breakfast or food for his young! :-) The crows don't like squirrels or pigeons, and will nip at them to get them to leave the garden, This leaves the seed feeder and spilt seed available for the song birds.
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I envy you your variety of crows and am entertained by the differences in the actions of your crows as opposed to my American crows. They will pretty much leave the squirrels alone even though I have seen the squirrels go out of their way, like crawling upside down on a wire, to aggravate the crow on the wire below. Our crows are aware of any and all predators and have a particular call for predators. They did learn that my cat who originally elicited the warning is not a danger and they no longer call when they see him.
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@Mary I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I have a pair of crows that frequent my yard that I feed daily. What I have noticed with them and the squirrels... if I set up a novel feeding station, the crows are wary and the squirrels or a Steller Jay will partake of the food while the crows watch. However, once the crows became comfortable, they would scare/chase the squirrels away -- including swooping down on them from a tree. At least here, it seemed plausible to me they were watching and using the squirrels to assess safety. I caught some of this on video.
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@Michele Michele, your crows are more proactive than mine. Perhaps they see that I will do the squirrel removal for them. Not that it has any lasting effect. I hate that squirrel! I also notice that the scrub jays would swoop in to take food as the crows spent time checking out the situation. Since I was originally putting out walnut bits for small birds, I put them in the leaves of a small oak to foil the squirrel. The crows would try to "hover" to pick the walnuts out of the Oak. When I tossed out nuts for ground feeders as I ate lunch, one crow would sidle up to the food as if not looking at it would trick me into thinking that wasn't where he was headed. My crows are not as regular during mating season but return when the nestling(s) are more able to be on their own.
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@Mary So interesting Mary! I just recently became intrigued by crows. A few times last year I saw five or six sitting on a small retaining wall in my backyard. So this April, I decided I would see if I could get more visits if I put some shelled and unsalted peanuts on that wall...and I have. :-) I'm only ever visited by 2 at a time, although I hear and see many more in the neighborhood trees around here. At dusk I often see many crows flying off overhead in the same direction -- I assume for the evening roost. And I wish I knew where that was. What I wonder about is territory...? And why am I visited by only 2 at a time? Also not sure the 2 I see now are the same 2 I started with. Those original two individuals I could visually distinguish (I think!) by relative size, their behavior, and one bird had a feather defect (notch missing) in the right wing. I used to call this pair Trigger (bigger bolder bird) and Bullet (smaller more cautious bird). Named, because if I pulled Trigger enough times, Bullet would eventually follow.
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@Michele I will blame my inability to tell them apart on increasing cataracts, however there is a time during molting season around August here when I can tell them apart. It is also funny that they seem to visit in pairs. I do remember when mom and dad were here with the two young, the young ones had fluffy round heads. I think those two are my current visitors, but I have no way of verifying that. So frustrating. Everything I report is anecdotal without tags or chips; I have to just enjoy them and share with fellow crow fans.
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@Mary Hi Mary, I do get a lot of pleasure watching their antics. They will grab at the squirrels tails with a little tug, when they think the squirrel hasn't noticed. They do this to each other too, so I do wonder if some of it is actually play. That's interesting that they have learnt to distinguish your cat as being not a threat. Clever crows! :-)
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How interesting that you have such a variety of crows in Scotland! I have a family of crows (American crow - brachyrhynchos) here in Oregon that I feed each morning in my garden, thus I enjoy studying their habits each year. Similar to your crows, the American crow seems to know when a predator is nearby, as it will vocalize alarm calls and everyone flies off. Also, whenever a hawk (we have many varieties here in the Pacific northwest) is near, our crows mob the hawk, continuously harrassing it, all the while vocalizing alarm calls and pecking at it whilst it flees. Such brave crows! That is always quite a sight! Another difference is that our crows seem to tolerate squirrels, despite the fact that they eat the same nuts and seeds that I put out every morning.
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I love hearing and observing corvids in general. They are very 'talkative'. While I see mostly scrub jays and magpies on my daily walks, crows and ravens will show up at times. I have not seen the tool-making, but noticed caching of food, retrieval, strategies to open acorns, and patient waiting for a hawk to leave its dinner 'table', so that a few scrabs can be picked up. 
I live in the sliver of NC that has both American Crows and Ravens year round and on Facebook wildlife appreciation groups here you can almost always find an ongoing discussion about a rather a picture is of a crow or raven (or beaver and groundhog but alas)… this lesson was extremely helpful to me as I always harbored a little sliver of doubt myself. If I am applying what I learned correctly, my yard harbors the American Crow. 
I live in Allentown PA and we've had 43" of snow during the past four weeks. It's been a harsh Winter. The attached picture was taken from my kitchen window, which is about 20' from the feeder. I now have a much greater appreciation of American Crows having taken this fine course. I know how to properly identify these birds and look for the gentle curve of their tail feathers while in flight. For a fairly large bird, I'm quite surprised how skittish they are, very much like Cardinals in that regard. I can barely get to within three feet of my kitchen window before they sense my presence and scatter in all directions. Even turning my kitchen sink faucet on will, at times, spook them. The other day, I saw one Crow with two peanuts in its mouth. I also saw six Crows patiently waiting for a squirrel to finish eating beneath my feeder. They had the squirrel completely encircled at a distance of about three feet and must have waited nearly five minutes before the squirrel raced away and scampered up an evergreen. I was surprised that they didn't rout the squirrel. I enjoy listening to the Crows talking to each other while perched atop trees that are a full city block apart. Often, their caws literally volley back and forth. A couple of years ago, I saw a badly injured squirrel that had been hit by a car laying on the shoulder of a busy road in town. The squirrel was still alive, albeit barely, but that didn't stop a Crow from pecking away at it, delighted at the prospect of eating a very fresh meal. That sight still haunts me. Nature can be cruel.
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 