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How to Befriend Crows

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Re: How to Befriend Crows

#201

Post by BLKNSLVR »

There was a juvenile magpie on the balcony handrail outside the large office kitchen / lunchroom space. I went out and left the corner of a cheese biscuit on the balcony floor just to see what it would do. It didn't show any interest until I went back inside, and it spent a couple of minutes looking at the biscuit, looking at the door.

I then had to go back to my desk, not knowing the end result.

A couple of hours later we had our monthly all-hands meeting in the kitchen / lunch room space.

For the full hour of the meeting, there was a juvenile magpie standing on the balcony floor, at the door, looking inside and warbling.

I'm assuming it liked the country cheese sample.

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#202

Post by residualmind »

I always loved the crows in the city and tried to be friendly to them, even sometimes feeding them - one time I had up to 30 crows patiently sitting around me, each one waiting for me to throw them their little piece of cheese which they would catch from the air. So I always was under the impression that my neighborhood crows tolerated or maybe even liked me.

This changed when I got a dog and moved to a different part of the city. The dog loves scaring away birds by running up to them, which the crows weren't happy about obviously. I tried to prevent the dog scaring crows (pigeons were O.K.) but she managed to scare them a few times anyways.

The crows didn't like this. Up to a point where whenever the dog and me encountered crows, the birds would warn and call others, swarming around us in a threatening, scary way.

But after months of me carefully keeping the dog from scaring the crows, pulling her back on the leash and letting her know the crows are our friends, the crows are friendly again. Even when we walk closely by crows, they don't mind. I'm 100% convinced the crows have learned that the dog is under my control and I keep her from charging at them.

No more warning caws and ganging up on us. Such amazing birds.

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#203

Post by tgtweak »

wpietri wrote: post #5

I can vouch for this approach. I lived in the territory of a couple of ravens (close relatives of crows; just as smart and twice as large) and it took me maybe 18 months to build a close relationship. I started out just talking to them and throwing whole peanuts (roasted, unsalted) on the ground while I was doing it. They looked at me warily and did not come close. Later on, the peanuts would disappear, but I was nev…

My grandmother used to do the same with squirrels and chipmunks - but only leave the nuts out for the first few times, then she'd bring them back in after waiting for a bit. They immediately figured it out and would come down to get them on future attempts. I imagine the same would work with crows.

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#204

Post by paulette449 »

While this thread is about crows, I can't recommend Bernd Heinrich's books, many of which feature his relationship with ravens, highly enough. A Year in the Maine Woods [1] is a classic. Mind of the Raven [2] and Ravens in Winter [3] may be of interest to anyone following this thread and since I am speaking about ravens in a thread about crows, an Audubon article "How to Tell a Raven from a Crow" [4] may also be of interest.

[1] - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77166.A_Year_in_the_Main... [2] - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/254704.Mind_of_the_Raven [3] - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122665.Ravens_in_Winter [4] - https://www.audubon.org/news/how-tell-raven-crow

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#207

Post by rozularen »

unrealp wrote: post #165
h4x0rr wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I misread the entire thread as cows instead of crows. I was wondering how cows are supposed to hop on fence rails xD

You are not alone. I did the same for some unknown reason :D

haha me too but I'd say I have a bit of dyslexia

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#208

Post by lovehashbrowns »

I had lunch with a crow once in downtown Austin at one of those outside eating tables. I sat down with some pizza and saw the crow standing by, likely waiting for me to finish and throw away whatever I didn't eat. I figured it'd be easier if we ate together, so I picked out a piece of bread and left it on the table an arm's length away from me, and it hopped on top of the table and ate the piece. Then I would take a bite of the pizza and tear off a piece for my crow pal for it to eat, and it went that way for about 30 minutes. Easily one of the most rewarding experiences for me as a lifelong city slicker. The lil birb could tell we were sharing a meal and I wasn't a threat. I'd love to do that again! Peanuts sounds good. I s'ppose I can try picking a consistent walking route and taking peanuts with me to try and make another crow pal, maybe a longer friendship this time.

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#209

Post by unrealp »

rozularen wrote: post #207
unrealp wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are not alone. I did the same for some unknown reason :D

haha me too but I'd say I have a bit of dyslexia

on serious note, interesting. i have blind spots in the eye, due to an auto immune type condition. since the blind spots are near central vision, brain tends to 'fill' or predict whats there. so i tend to sometimes misread words.

Re: How to Befriend Crows

#210

Post by boppo1 »

visitect wrote: post #69

My wife and I have successfully befriended the crows that inhabit my neighborhood. When we first moved into our home a few years ago, I would leave various nuts - and sometimes bits of unfinished bacon - on the back fence when I would see them perched on the neighbor's (tall) home. I would make a clicking noise with my tongue and call out to them in a friendly voice. Then I would retreat to the house and watch from t…

Isn't bread terrible for birds?
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