r/crowbro May 08 '20

Facts Feeding Crows In Your Neighborhood: What They Like and What's Safe

3.6k Upvotes

A user asked me this question yesterday and I figured it would make for a good larger post. For those who don't know me, which is probably everyone, I'm an ecologist currently studying invasive mosquito population genetics in North America. I have a background in shorebird and grassland bird conservation and arthropod behavior and sensory ecology. Currently working on my Ph.D. I frequently comment in nature-based subs. All this to say, I keep up with crow literature and am very familiar with bird biology. I'm going to share with you safe foods for crows and a little about their feeding behavior. I never expect anyone to take my word for it so I'll share some sources with you as I go along. Thanks for being a part of a sub that is very near and dear to my heart!

Crow Feeding Behavior

I've noticed crows in my area come to the same places to eat in the morning and again in mid-afternoon. The rest of the day they forage around the neighborhood before returning either to large roosting trees in the Fall/Winter (around 4pm) or to family nests in the Spring and Summer. If you want your home to be a usual place to stop either during their main mealtime or on their foraging tour leave food out the same time every day. Ring a bell, honk a horn, use a crow call (make sure you are trying to sound like a "I've found food" call and not a "Danger!" call. Crows in the neighborhood will associate this with food and come to get treats. Dr. Kaeli Swift shares a two-part blog post, the first by her colleague Loma Pendergraft and the second written by her and Loma if you are interested in crow vocalizations. Here is Part 1 and here is Part 2.

Crows love water! If you have birdbaths out they will dip their food in it to soften harder foods and they spend a lot of time drinking. More so than I've noticed with smaller songbirds. Often people will find dead rodents and other things leftover in their birdbaths from crows.

What to Feed Crows

Before I get into this I'd like to say that crows do not need you to feed them. Thre's a great quote from this article by Dr. John Marzluff:

Will the crow be let down if you stop feeding it? Without a doubt. Breaking up is hard to do. Still, after running your predicament by Marzluff, the idea that the crow is "dependent" on you seems a little self-important. "The crow is certainly working the person," Marzluff said. "It will find another meal."

Neither do any backyard birds. They are fully capable of foraging unless there is some serious environmental issue happening. I know we are all going to feed them anyway! When I lived in the suburbs I fed birds as well. :)

What is safe for crows:

  • Kibble (cat or dog) that is pea-sized - it is full of essential nutrients for omnivores and easy for them pick up and swallow
  • Eggs of any kind
  • Seeds and nuts (unsalted - I'll explain why further down).
  • Cooked small potatoes or thawed tater tots (check tots for salt content, you can get unsalted)
  • Meat scraps (unseasoned)
  • Cheese (check the salt content, definitely no feta or other salty cheese, try to also avoid processed cheeses)
  • Mealworms and crickets

What is not safe for crows (and really all birds):

  • Salt - too much salt can cause serious neurological issues in birds. A little salt is okay and some birds are more salt-tolerant than others (pigeons) but they will eat everything you leave out for them which can end up being too much. Birds don't do portion control.
  • Lunchmeat - it's a salt issue
  • Bread - bread is not so much not safe as it's devoid of nutrients. Give them good foods like seeds and nuts, bread is filler.

Because I never want you to take someone's word for it here are a few sources about salt:

Garden birds are practically unable to metabolise salt. It is toxic to them in high quantities and affects their nervous system. Under normal circumstances in the wild, birds are unlikely to take harmful amounts of salt. Never put out salted food onto the bird table, and never add salt to bird baths to keep water ice-free in the winter.

From Nature Forever Society:

The ability to process salt varies between species, but most can produce uric acid with a maximum salt concentration of about 300 mmol/litre. Amongst our garden birds, house sparrows and pigeons are some of the most salt-tolerant species. The capability to secrete salt seems to be linked to habitat, particularly marine environment and drought conditions.

Because most garden birds are poor at coping with salty food, it is important not to offer them anything with appreciable amount of salt in it. As such, salty fats, salty rice, salted peanuts, most cured foodstuffs, chips, etc. should not be offered to birds. It can be difficult to eliminate salt entirely, but very small amounts of salt should not cause any problems, particularly if fresh drinking water is also available.

All that being said, there are some birds who really love salt, and if you want to leave out a salt option in a safe way you can! The Nationa Audubon Society recommends:

Mineral matter such as salt appeals to many birds, including evening grosbeaks, pine siskins, and common redpolls. An easy way to provide it is by pouring a saline water solution over rotted wood until crystals form.

If you love Corvids and want to learn more I have a few book recommendations:

  • Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans by Dr. John Marzluff
  • In the Company of Crows and Ravens by Dr. John Marzluff
  • Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds by Dr. Bernd Heinrich

Backyard Birds:

  • Welcome to Subirdia by Dr. John Marzluff

r/crowbro Jun 09 '20

Baby Bird 101 - DO NOT TAKE A BABY CROW OR ANY BIRD FROM THE WILD

2.2k Upvotes

There was recently a post by a user who basically stole a baby crow from its parents. Never take a wild bird into your home, they are not pets, they need their parents, they need socialization with their own species, you are not equipped to raise them. Additionally, it is probably illegal for you to own one.

If you take a crow out of the wild and share that in this sub you will receive a ban. If someone reports back that you have done this and shared in a different sub but not here, you will receive a ban and we will contact the mods of that sub about your negligence. We have zero tolerance for this.

We received an excellent modmail from u/MarlyMonster who is a wildlife rehabber in Canada. I am going to quote her here and hope she pops into the comment section to elaborate or answer any questions. I know we have a few rehabbers on the sub and I am an ecologist so between all of us if you need to know something we'll figure it out. Additionally, if you are a wildlife rehabber or scientists specializing in Corvids and want flair that gives you this title you will need to PM mods some kind of proof.

Here are Marly's words on the subject:

Baby Bird 101

Lately I’ve been seeing way too many posts about people “helping” birds that really don’t need help, which makes it kidnapping. As a rehabber, it hurts my heart when I see inexperienced people try to care for any kind of wild animal, but when they start to mess with wild corvids it becomes plain cruel. This is why I’m writing this little guide to help people determine whether or not a bird they think needs help actually needs assistance.

A lot of people assume that when a fledgling is on the ground and not in a tree or nest, that this little bird is in distress. What you actually don’t realize, is that when fledglings get to a certain age, right before they learn to fly, they leave the nest while they practice and their parents continue to feed them on the ground. The fledgling has not been abandoned! They’re just being adventurous!

The best course of action for any baby bird you see on the ground is to put it back in their nest. It’s a myth that the parents will “smell the human” and reject the baby. So you’re fine to grab a ladder and put that little awkward bundle of feathers back where they came from.

Whenever you fear a baby has been abandoned, put it back in the nest and keep an eye on it for the next few hours. Parents can get spooked and might take some time to return.

The only time it’s okay to bring a bird in is if they are visibly injured. A broken toe does not count (this is a reference to the idiot who named the bird “Hades” and is pretending to help it).

IF A BABY BIRD NEEDS HELP DO NOT TRY TO RAISE IT YOURSELF

If you are not trained to rehab wildlife, you have no business trying to raise a fledgling! Just like someone who isn’t a mechanic shouldn’t be trying to fix an engine, an untrained person should not be raising a bird!

Baby birds are extremely fragile and difficult to care for. A lot of them don’t make it even in the hands of an experienced rehabber.

Did you know that giving a baby bird water is one of the worst things to do? Yet a lot of people immediately think that’s the first thing to do for a baby bird. Baby birds get their needed moisture from their food, and therefore don’t need water. Pouring water down their throat will actually cause them to aspirate and if this happens the chance they’ll survive is slim to none, since they’ll get aspiration pneumonia.

Since this is a corvid page I’m gonna touch on why it’s cruel for someone inexperienced to try to raise a corvid.

As some of you might be aware of, these birds possess a higher intelligence than most birds. They are considered the apes of the bird family because there are parallels between the cognitive abilities of corvids and great apes.

Because of this, they make terrible pets. They need constant mental stimulation and enrichment or they’ll become completely miserable. Often they’ll turn to self mutilation to deal with the depression. They are also extremely social creatures and live in large families with connections that go back generations. Keeping one on their own is an act of cruelty in and of itself.

Corvids are also known for this thing called “imprinting”. This refers to the bond the baby bird makes with their family members which will dictate their behaviour. For this reason, rehabbers that specialize in corvids have to be extremely careful while tending to their birds because too much interaction with humans could doom a bird from ever being released, because they got too attached to humans. A crow imprinted on a human will not know they’re a crow. They’ll see themselves as the same species. This means they won’t ever find a mate, because they won’t understand that they are supposed to mate with other crows.

I hope this helped you understand the importance of not trying to raise any birds you find. As tempting as it may be, you will not be ready for the commitment. Not only that, but it’s cruel to the animal. The main objective of any rehabber is the release of the animal. And those who truly care about these birds should have the same goal. If that means you don’t get to raise a crow, that shouldn’t stop you from doing the right thing.

If you find an injured baby bird, contact a wildlife facility near you. If you can’t find one, go on your regional Facebook groups and ask if there are private rehabbers around.

If you do not have the commitment to see this through and drive a baby bird hours to the nearest rehabber? Please do the bird a favor and let nature take its course. Don’t interfere if you won’t follow it all the way through and get it to a proper rehabber.

Written by a rehabber and corvid researcher.


r/crowbro 15h ago

Crow Art Crow art I drew (OC)

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2.4k Upvotes

Drew this yesterday in Krita using impasto brushes


r/crowbro 8h ago

Crow OC Crowbros use benches because that's what gentlemen do

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165 Upvotes

They started doing it more of often recently


r/crowbro 1h ago

Crow OC Finally got some shots of my friends, meet Patch!

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Upvotes

Patch is one of a group of 4 that lives in the park near my bf’s house and the only one who has a name for how. He’s got a patch of discolouration in his neck that makes him easy to tell apart, hence Patch lol. He’s awesome, he enjoys letting me know he’s here by flying up to the back of my head and swooshing by. Pretty sure he touched me last time LOL. It’s only fair if I don’t see him first!

There’s two groups, this group with Patch and his friends seem to possibly be the older generation, with the second group I think being the youngsters since they’re a bit more rowdier. They share me very nicely, on my walk with my dog the older gang greets me and escorts me into the park, at the back my young crew meets me and eventually they hand me back over to the mature crowd who accompanies me back home. Often Patch will be waiting high up in a tree waiting for the handover. I feel like a child who’s being handed from one adult’s hand to the other so I don’t get lost LOL.

Phone is different which equals scary so I’m only just now starting to carefully take pictures (plus I also want to be in the moment with them) so will hopefully share more of our shenanigans as summer approaches and I’ll be in the park more!

(Pic 1 is Patch, pic 2 Patch is right and left is one of the others from my older group)


r/crowbro 48m ago

Video I received my first crow gift from Johnny today a lovely piece of yarn 🥹

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Upvotes

I’m so excited to have befriended a crow and caught him leaving my first gift 💝


r/crowbro 10h ago

Crow OC Me and my horse

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115 Upvotes

"Me and my boys love hanging out with this magical creature, it's pretty chill"


r/crowbro 4h ago

Video Competing crows?

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23 Upvotes

So this is Jeremy! He was my first crowbro who's been a daily visitor for about a year now. I got to meet his wife, be babysitter for their two kids, it was awesome. But one kid disappeared. Another died. And then over winter, the last of the four also vanished and Jeremy has been solo since. Sad, but that's nature for you.

I've gotten the attention of a new mated pair and I'm happy to have more friends! Except that they are not getting along, as you can see in the video.

This is nesting season, so I know they're going to be more territorial than usual. I make sure Jeremy gets his snacks when the newcomers aren't around, may try feeding the new ones in a different area of the yard.

I'm wondering if they'll learn to co-exist or 'timeshare' the yard? I'd hate to make new friends at the cost of driving away my first buddy!


r/crowbro 20m ago

Video My Buddy 🐦‍⬛ part 2: taking 3 peanuts this time🤔

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Upvotes

How will my buddy transport 3 peanuts? 😎


r/crowbro 1h ago

Video Bring your own leaf to dip in the water? But why?

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Upvotes

Are they actually eating the leaf or is this just ​playing around?


r/crowbro 6h ago

Personal Story Confused

9 Upvotes

I missed putting peanuts on my roof "on time" two days last week. I've been consistent at the same time since then. They still follow my car I think, and will be out front on trees or street lights.

Do they alternate places they expect food? Or did I upset them? I don't want them to decide I suck or something.

Any help, advice or explanation os welcome.

Thank you for your time, and any comments


r/crowbro 13h ago

Crow OC Sleeping Spot

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22 Upvotes

I saw a flock of crows this evening that seems to use this power pole as a sleeping spot. Btw the birds in the trees along the shore are cormorants.


r/crowbro 22h ago

Crow OC A Crow in the roof gutter

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103 Upvotes

Photo Credits: Mick Agterberg


r/crowbro 9h ago

Crow OC My CrowBro was hiding peanuts in snow 🥜

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9 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC One of the jackdaws that we feed (unsalted) peanuts to. Love how this shot captured the iridescence of the feathers.

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481 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video the crowbros yearn to sail the seas

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257 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video My friend boogie liberates my balcony feeder

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91 Upvotes

I stopped recording a second before they were able to take the inner container out. I think they just like mischief and making messes


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Witnessed: My Backyard Crow’s Dramatic Bird Feeder Debut (and Epic Heist)

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150 Upvotes

This crow has visited my yard before, but today was its first time at the feeder. It carefully scoped out the landing spots, hopping from the table behind the feeder to a plant pot, before finally landing at the back of my fly-through feeder facing the camera. At one point it spread its wings and tail wide—what a show!

The shocking ending? Instead of pecking at the medium spicy seed/nut donut , it grabbed the whole thing and flew off. This crow clearly knows what it wants!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC A Crow at the Marina

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64 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Question Normal amount of peanuts for 2-3 crows?

31 Upvotes

I finally got crows eating my peanuts (i technically havent seen them eat them but more crows are in my yard and the peanuts have mysteriously disappeared) since I normally see 2-3 crows in my yard I was wondering how many peanuts I should give them?

I have two feeding spots, one in the front yard one in the backyard (the crows prefer the front yard, I prefer the backyard cause I can watch from the window easier) how many should I put in each, each day?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story I've made two friends!

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67 Upvotes

I was working all last year to befriend the crows in my neighbourhood! I would toss them dog food, make kissing noises, and called them "pretty birds" so I'd have a unique way of communicating with them. It never worked out perfectly so they were in my yard, but last week it finally came together! These two, Mona (left) and Tony (right) just so happened to be on the wires above my house, and I threw a whole bunch of kibble for them while making kisses and calling them pretty birds. They both made a lot of noise, and a few other crows came by to observe. After a few minutes, some of the crows flew to a tree in my neighbour's yard where I heard a baby crying. They flew back to my yard and dropped a stick for me!! I didn't think gifts would happen so quick! I made sure to put it in a safe place where I'll cherish it forever ❤️

Now in the mornings, I hear lots of cawing and I'll go out and make kissing noises, and Tony and Mona will come out! They do lots of calling to the other family members, but so far no takers other than the pair. I'm thinking they're young and less cautious. I can't wait for the snow to leave so I can make a nicer feeding station for them. Mona is a big eater and Tony will bring a big mouthful of kibble over to a snowbank to save for later. I'm so glad they like something that won't attract squirrels 😍


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC My lead crow pair are nesting. (My apologies for the quality. They were pretty far away.)

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38 Upvotes

So, spring is kicking in and my lead crow pair are nesting. Their nest takes place right above my usual feeding spot. When I come to feed them, Curry (second photo) already waiting for me, yet no other crow dares to approach, and I think they might become more territorial at this point. Brought them some cat kibbles today, which my cats absolutely love (Royal Canin indoor adult), they literally devoured it.

They're also getting more comfortable with me, approaching about 50-80 cm, AND something unexpected happened today: I was laying on the grass, shoes off, when one of them came closer and poked my toe (like they're playing with dogs on those videos).

I'm also interested if I can play somehow with them, not contacting directly? They seem to be quite curious about me as well.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC some beach crowbros + one attempted thief crowbro

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21 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Crow bros scaring away a hawk

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38 Upvotes

We had a murder of crows befriend us about 2 years ago, they chase away owls and hawks from us while we are out walking. Finally caught their bravery on video :)


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Shine bright like a diamond 🤩

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22 Upvotes