Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

audubon.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 95 posts

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#41

Post by sejje »

WalterBright wrote: post #34
mikestew wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We have problems here with crows destroying lawns to dig up grubs. If you're in the PNW, those invasive grubs were going to destroy your lawn anyway. More information: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorityspecies/european-chaf...

Nothing grows in my lawn. Everything grows like mad in the non-lawn areas.

You have big shady trees? That'll make it hard to grow grass.

Some trees put out a chemical barrier to growth, as well. Red Cedar and Black Walnut do it around here.

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#42

Post by Terr_ »

vjvjvjvjghv wrote: post #16
SamuraiLion wrote: post #3

I mean; they cause no harm unless you are a farmer or something, do they?

They poop on people they don't like. I used to work at an office where you had to walk under some trees from the parking lot to the entrance. There was one guy that got pooped on at least once a week. Then he used an umbrella which they pooped on too. No idea what he had done to them but they clearly didn't like him :-) Another thing I saw at a park: The crows surrounded a swan. One would pick at the swan's butt. Whe…

> It looked like they bullied the swan for entertainment.

On the subject of cruelty in animals:

> '[...] humanity may come to terms with the dwarf, the troll and even the orc, terrifying though all these may have proved to be at times, and you know why this is, Drumknott?'

> The secretary carefully folded the duster he had been using and looked at the ceiling. 'I would venture to suggest, my lord, that in their violence we recognize ourselves?'

> 'Oh, well done, Drumknott, I shall make a cynic of you yet! Predators respect other predators, do they not? They may perhaps even respect the prey: the lion may lie down with the lamb, even if only the lion is likely to get up again, but the lion will not lie down with the rat. [...]'

-- Snuff by Terry Pratchet

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#43

Post by assemblyman »

the_af wrote: post #29
petcat wrote: post #6

The crows around my house are generally cool unless I do something they don't like and then they'll remember my face for all of eternity and mob me whenever I am outside.

Out of curiosity, what can you do to upset a crow so much? Shoo them? (Where I live there are no crows, please excuse my ignorance. Only common pigeons, as filthy as they are dumb, and they don't seem to hold a grudge, or think much of humans... or at all).

You do you but I love both crows and pigeons. Pigeons are awesome once you get to know them and they don't spread disease which is a common misconception - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240620-why-do-people-pe...

From the article: "One study found that, between 1941 and 2004, there were just 207 reports of pathogens transmitted from pigeons to humans – anywhere in the world. In all, there were 13 recorded deaths. The true number may be higher, but it would have to be off by several orders of magnitude to compete with the scale of infections from other domesticated animals – particularly some of those with more favourable reputations."

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#44

Post by card_zero »

Lerc wrote: post #27

We have quite a few birds around our house and it has been quite gratifying to see how much they accept your presence after a while. While making coffee yesterday morning, there were three tauhau hopping around in the tree outside the window, less than a meter away, unconcerned. If I go outside they'll keep to about 2 meters. When I'm working in the garage, a piwakawaka often comes in to watch me. If I'm digging in t…

For anybody else also doing image searches for these birds, it's tauhou. Seemingly these colonized New Zealand in 1832.

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#45

Post by bee_rider »

Lerc wrote: post #27

We have quite a few birds around our house and it has been quite gratifying to see how much they accept your presence after a while. While making coffee yesterday morning, there were three tauhau hopping around in the tree outside the window, less than a meter away, unconcerned. If I go outside they'll keep to about 2 meters. When I'm working in the garage, a piwakawaka often comes in to watch me. If I'm digging in t…

From a bird’s point of view, large mammals must be interesting. You are just doing a little digging in the garden, but it’s an absolutely tremendous amount of earth you’ve moved compared to their ability to dig.

I’m always curious about animals’ perception of us. I think they don’t really have the concepts of things like doors, lids, etc, as constructed devices that are made to be manipulated. I wonder if they think we’re very clever at getting into things. And does the dog worry every day that we won’t find food?

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#46

Post by Aboutplants »

We started feeding a small group of crows that hung out in our neighborhood but after a while decided to back off to only occasionally because their constant presence kept other types of birds away from our backyard. They are very talkative and I often banter back and forth with them saying hello when they occasionally visit now and have taken to showing up when I take walks to squawk at me and i assume to say hello. Very fascinating creatures

I also tell my young daughter to always be nice to them, because they will pass information not only among themselves but also down generations.

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#47

Post by Aboutplants »

petcat wrote: post #6

The crows around my house are generally cool unless I do something they don't like and then they'll remember my face for all of eternity and mob me whenever I am outside.

Just give them some peanuts, they are pretty easily converted to appreciating you if you give them what they like

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#49

Post by Frieren »

> Even when humans have a friendship—or something that feels like it—with a crow, the relationship happens on the wild animal’s terms. They visit when they want to, and they may disappear from our life suddenly.

It goes also the other way around. I do not leave a note to my neighborhood crows when I move town.

I think that it has nothing to do in which terms it happens but the communication barrier. It is very possible that the crows signal that they are leaving for good but we are just missing the message. And my reason to not leave them a note is because they cant read, if they could I would.

Re: An investigation into the state of corvid–human relations

#50

Post by the_af »

assemblyman wrote: post #43
the_af wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, what can you do to upset a crow so much? Shoo them? (Where I live there are no crows, please excuse my ignorance. Only common pigeons, as filthy as they are dumb, and they don't seem to hold a grudge, or think much of humans... or at all).

You do you but I love both crows and pigeons. Pigeons are awesome once you get to know them and they don't spread disease which is a common misconception - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240620-why-do-people-pe... From the article: "One study found that, between 1941 and 2004, there were just 207 reports of pathogens transmitted from pigeons to humans – anywhere in the world. In all, there were 13 recorded deat…

Oh, I don't think pigeons spread disease. I just think city pigeons are filthy and poop all over everything. Frequently mutilated, missing toes or whole limbs. Also frequently run over by cars.

I like the kind of wild pigeons you can see outside cities. I reserve my contempt for city pigeons, which I like to call "flying rats".

I also like crows, but there aren't any (that I can see) where I live. I've seen them in other locations, of course.

Post reply on HN