Ruth
Forum Replies Created
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
-
I think my neighborhood is best described as urban-suburban. It's too close to the city and too densely populated to be considered truly suburban, I think. But there is plenty of developed green space ( I think it is 30% of the building footprint.). The crows here build nests in the tops of tall trees, nearer the middle, as American crows do. And they are resourceful, making use of our food waste by foraging at dumpsters and trash cans. They seem to know certain bags and containers are likely to have food. Some do feed birds. Too often, however, it's a pile of dried out bread, which people are loathe to throw out. Because I live in an Islamic country, I thought it would be interesting to share how Islam might influence middle eastern attitudes toward crows. There are a couple of mentions in the literature. In the Koran, the crow is associated with death and mankind's first murder. And, in the collected sayings of Muhammad, crows are listed among the five animals "for which there is no blame on the one who kills them," along with scorpions and mad dogs. (!) It would be hard to measure how interpretation of and regard for these sayings might actually affect attitudes -- and corvid-icide -- but there is general antipathy toward crows for more practical reasons at least, such as their territorial behavior during the breeding season, and their shenanigans at outdoor dining venues. I, however, find even these crow behaviors interesting and endearing. And, befriending my neighborhood crows has been a delightful project!
-
1. The crows I observe in my neighborhood of the UAE do appear healthy, despite diets of an apparently higher-than-average proportion of leftover junk food. I have introduced peanuts, and although it is obviously not their favorite food here (Eggs and french fries are!) they are cleaning the ledge of the peanuts more quickly now than before. Looking more closely for it, I noticed one case of swollen foot on a visiting crow the other day, but I have never noticed limping crows before. In contrast to the healthy and sleek appearance of the crows that visit my ledge, I have noticed some rock pigeons with avian pox. 2. I have seen/heard crows fighting on two or three occasions, over the course of 12 years here. I would guess these were due to territorial disputes. I remember someone in a neighboring apartment dumping water on some crows to break up a fight. Crows tend to have a bad reputation here as in other countries. ... However, this crow made the local news because other crows had been seen feeding it and keeping it company while it was injured. It was welcome good publicity for urban crows in the UAE because past articles depict them only as villains and invasive pests.
-
I agree with other great answers here! It's certainly hard to see how this familial and larger communal system -- in addition to the option to establish new territory as other birds do -- wouldn't benefit up-and-coming breeders for choice as well as providing opportunities to strengthen and sharpen skills for success while they might wait for an opening.
-
I have been trying to make friends with the grey-necked crows in my neighborhood, by feeding them on a more regular basis. The other day, I left out their favorite food and greeted them in a non-threatening way through an open window, hoping they would associate my voice with me and the food. After awhile, one crow brought something in its beak and set it down before taking food and leaving. It was a bone! Which I understand is one of the types of items they "gift." I can't be sure, but I'd like to think it is the first in a series of gifts. I have also witnessed a crow poking about and picking up a plastic food container at a trash can. It was clear so the food could be seen. The bird was puzzling over how to open it with a perseverance that I would definitely associate with intelligence ... but I was passing through and couldn't stop to observe. On another occasion, at an outdoor restaurant, I witnessed a very street-savvy crow swoop down to the next table and pull out a sugar packet, hold it upright between it's legs, peck it open and eat the sugar. I felt the sugar itself wasn't the objective so much as getting my attention to maybe drop some fries, because -- and this is obviously subjective -- the behavior had a performative quality and once the crow had our amused attention, it didn't continue with the sugar packets. And I did drop food, of course.
-
Pictured is a large tree full of a mixed species roost of smaller birds, such as sparrows and bulbuls. But on another occasion, in a few palm trees nearby, I witnessed a large roost of grey-necked crows. The environment is a well-lit golf course, and the roosting trees were next door to the terrace of a bar/restaurant, which I believe is a draw as a food source. It was winter in the UAE, and it can get quite chilly, although only in the low 50's F in this area. Still, perhaps warmth was also a motivating factor. Information sharing would also be valuable, since the area is also urban and there are diverse feeding opportunities to discover. ... I think crows are fascinating to observe, and I've always thought birds were "sharing" somehow when they chirp and vocalize during communal roosts.
-
In my suburban area of the UAE, I observe the grey-necked crow, also known as the house crow or Indian crow, forage in small groups around dumpsters. These groups might be three to ten crows in size. Last week, I saw a large group of about twenty standing at the ready near some laborers who were lunching. ... In the summer, when it's particularly hot, very large groups of these crows congregate on the ground under trees, where the earth is cool because of the shade and sprinkler systems. I assume the large numbers serve the purpose of safety, as there is still plenty of human foot traffic in the area. The photo shows a smaller crowd, but I believe their purpose was to keep safe while keeping cool.
Pictured is a large tree full of a mixed species roost of smaller birds, such as sparrows and bulbuls. But on another occasion, in a few palm trees nearby, I witnessed a large roost of grey-necked crows. The environment is a well-lit golf course, and the roosting trees were next door to the terrace of a bar/restaurant, which I believe is a draw as a food source. It was winter in the UAE, and it can get quite chilly, although only in the low 50's F in this area. Still, perhaps warmth was also a motivating factor. Information sharing would also be valuable, since the area is also urban and there are diverse feeding opportunities to discover. ... I think crows are fascinating to observe, and I've always thought birds were "sharing" somehow when they chirp and vocalize during communal roosts.
Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)