Crow Daddy

BeyGon · 05-20-2018, 09:56 AM

A week ago, last Saturday we woke to the noise of a group of crows, murder, making sooo much noise. My wife was worried but I said they must see a cat or a snake in the yard. She got up and saw nothing, I got up a little later and saw a baby hopping around the yard. All week we have been watching this thing grow, hop around and start flying. If I go into the yard the crows, always watching, go nuts, dive down and harass me. It's fun watching the baby grow and start flying but it will be good to get in the yard without the harassment too. My wife looked up on line and evidently this isn't a strange thing, they jump out of the nest, in a tree in our back yard and spend a week or ten days growing up and learning to fly. At first I was worried a cat would get it but I think mom and dad have taken care of that. Today I saw it fly across most of the yard, at least fifty feet, I think it's about ready to get out.

pwd72s · 05-20-2018, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Crows are smart!
Some will place roadkill in the road to get shredded and tenderized more.

Yep. they'll also drop walnuts on the road for the same reason...

Crowbob · 05-20-2018, 10:43 AM

They also recognize people.

As an aside, there are some robins making their annual nest where it doesn't belong so every day I go out and take it down.

Well a couple days ago they put it back! Seriously. Not piece by piece, either. Mr and Mrs (I presume) Robin teamed up and lifted that nest back to where it was.

I let them build a little more then I took it down after it was pretty much complete. Apparently it was too big for them to relocate.

Ha! A couple of robins is no match for this old crow!

BeyGon · 05-20-2018, 11:42 AM

They know me and my wife, they follow us to the mailbox and know our cars. The way the youngn is flying around today I think it has maybe two more days here and it will make the big leap.

id10t · 05-20-2018, 12:03 PM

Corvids (crows, ravens, and their relations) are really smart, and can actually learn to talk like parrots.

BeyGon · 05-20-2018, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowbob

They also recognize people.

Ha! A couple of robins is no match for this old crow!

In your honor we are calling it Bob. It's been bouncing around and looking through the holes in the fence. Picking through the pine needles, pretty inquisitive. I like it, but still will be happy when it flies off. The Finches and little rat birds don't seem to mind it, nothing moves them from their food and the parents don't bother them.

RKDinOKC · RKDinOKC's Garage

Don't have crows. Or blue jays for that matter. Have a couple of great horned owls that roost and nest in a big cottonwood tree in the back yard. As competitors they keep to vicinity crow and blue jay free.

The owls are pretty smart. Caught the owl and my golden retriever having a conversation. The owl was sitting on a fence post hooting. Instead of barking and chasing across the fence like she does squirrels etc, she was making sounds very similar to hooting. They hooted back and forth several times then the dog went to sniffing the yard and the owl flew back up into the tree. Since then the dog hasn't been chasing rodents or snakes in the back yard like she did before. Saw a rabbit the other day in the middle of the yard. Let the dog and she just ran by ignoring it to go sniff another part of the yard. The rabbit bounded across the yard and dove under the fence.

mreid · 05-20-2018, 02:34 PM

Probably went to go tell the owl that a rabbit was in its yard.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Crows are smart!
Some will place roadkill in the road to get shredded and tenderized more.

That's a plus one.

aigel · aigel's Garage

Not a crow fan. Every 6 months, just when we start enjoying some song birds, a gang of crows, we are talking 20-40 comes through for a couple days cleaning out the nests. They really take a toll on the bird population. One of them took out my bedroom sliding door glass as well, chasing a bird.

That said, I do understand this is a natural behavior. If I was in the country side, I'd observe crow season.

G

Crowbob · 05-20-2018, 08:56 PM

It's not unheard of to have crows as pets. Free range. Raise it up from a chick and it'll stick around and actually be friendly.

I knew a kid waaaaay back before they were all mass-murderers who had a murder of crows that hung around him.

If I'm not mistaken (which would be a miracle) crows pair-up for life with the males having to fend off interlopers all day long who are attracted to cougar crows. They sometimes also live in multigenerational groups making for interesting social situations.

Bill Douglas · 05-20-2018, 09:12 PM

I was visiting my mom on the farm and saw a crow next to our old labrador dog, Nat. I couldn't believe my eyes and Mom said it's his friend, and when he's had enough of his dinner he lets the crow finish it. A very strange friendship.

aigel · aigel's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I was visiting my mom on the farm and saw a crow next to our old labrador dog, Nat. I couldn't believe my eyes and Mom said it's his friend, and when he's had enough of his dinner he lets the crow finish it. A very strange friendship.

One hell of a "bird dog"!

What does the dog get back? Does the crow pick off fleas? Hopefully a black lab at least.

G

Bill Douglas · 05-20-2018, 09:43 PM

Nothing really. He had really chilled out in his old age and he was pleased to have another friend. Even if it was the enemy LOL He used to assert his authority though, if the crow took a peck at his dinner while he was still eating it he would air snap at the crow as a reminder he is the boss in the friendship. Yep, he was a black lab duck retriever.

BeyGon · 05-21-2018, 05:45 AM

Watching it right now, It got pretty damp last night and I think it's just trying to dry out. It's up on a bench preening. I keep thinking, jump, fly.

Crowbob · 05-21-2018, 05:53 AM

Try to get close to it in a non-threatening way, which means slowly. But only if you want to befriend it.

Crows can do damage. However, the damage is usually outweighed by the benefits they bring, especially to crops. They consume just about anything but seem to especially like carion.

stevej37 · 05-21-2018, 05:54 AM

As a teenager, we would try to shoot them with our 22 cal rifles....which is/was legal in MI.
Almost impossible to get a good shot at one..they can sense a gun from a long ways away.

BeyGon · 05-21-2018, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Try to get close to it in a non-threatening way, which means slowly. But only if you want to befriend it.

Crows can do damage. However, the damage is usually outweighed by the benefits they bring, especially to crops. They consume just about anything but seem to especially like carion.

It might have been receptive but the parents go nuts when they even see us looking out the door. I caught it once last week when it was stuck in a corner, brought it out to the other side of the house and let it go. I used a towel, wrapped it around it and it couldn't see when I took it back to it's normal playground. I don't want a pet crow. I don't care that they nest in the tree, they don't seem to bother much, except I think the dove don't like them.