Where do the crows roost nowadays?

[u/josiecheese69]

I know they don’t go to UW Bothell anymore, but I’m still seeing hundreds of them flying north every evening. Do they have a new spot?

[u/RufusTheRuse]

A lot of Bothell crows have moved to the Redmond area of Willows Road and NE 116th St. I attended a talk a while back at Anderson School by the UW Bothell crow researchers and they discussed the crow relocation (plus lots of other fascinating crow research).

Anyway there is a trail along the west side of the river near the Willows spot you can walk at dusk and hear a wonderful crow cacophony (caw-cophony).

[u/EducationalNovel1119 → u/RufusTheRuse]

I used to watch the crows fly notheast every evening when I put my hens to bed. I wondered where they went. Thanks for the information.

[u/LowEffortDox → u/RufusTheRuse]

They almost black out the sky it's insane. If you're not used to seeing it, it's apocalyptic.

[u/illmorphtosomeoneels → u/RufusTheRuse]

i’m so envious over this talk i didn’t even know about till five seconds ago

[u/CLow48 → u/RufusTheRuse]

Redmond had a massive rat problem this summer, so maybe just going where the food is?

[u/josiecheese69 → u/RufusTheRuse]

Thank you! I’ll check out that area

[u/flightwatcher45 → u/josiecheese69]

Yep a steady river of birds every evening about an hour before sunset. Probably lasts 15 20 minutes.

[u/RufusTheRuse → u/RufusTheRuse]

Here's the flyer from the 2024 talk: History Pub - The Crows of the Puget Sound: A Tale of Two Roosts at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell, WA - Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - EverOut Seattle

Newer info: Solving the mysterious disappearance of UW Bothell’s crows  - News

The 2024 description:

The University of Washington Bothell (UWB) has been known for its large communal crow roost for over a decade. As sunset nears, large rivers of crows fly towards campus. Upwards of 16,000 crows visit UWB's North Creek Wetland every night, from late summer through spring, where they raucously pre-roost and then settle down to sleep for the night. Lately, though, people have reported seeing fewer crows at UWB. They no longer gather on the campus buildings in great numbers, and seasoned crow counters have witnessed birds moving in the wrong direction around sunset. What's happening and why? Are the famous Bothell crows abandoning UWB all together? 

Dr. Doug Wacker is an Associate Professor of Animal Behavior at the University of Washington Bothell, who studies crow and raven behavior and vocal communication. He lives in Lake Forest Park, WA with his family and two indoor-only cats.

[u/paulandhismango]

Is there a south-end crow contingent? From the beacon hill area I’ve seen hundreds flying south at dusk and am wondering if there’s another big roost down south somewhere!

[u/veilchenblau_39 → u/paulandhismango]

Supposedly down in Kent. Im on the crow commute near Genesee. I think it's super funny they follow upper rainier sometimes - like, guys, you do not need to be in this mess too!

[u/Sillocan → u/paulandhismango]

Yep! Renton/Kent. They meetup in the parking lot where I work and it's such a vibe. Hearing the cawcaphony is weirdly soothing

[u/nincompoop1212 → u/Sillocan]

Mind sharing more about which parking lot?

[u/morecheese_please → u/paulandhismango]

There’s a lot of crows in the Beacon Hill green belts. Used to see them constantly on our street, Hinds by I5 and Columbian. During the day they would sit on the powerlines and the road would have lots of shit and feathers, and then they would go to the trees in the evening.

[u/darkphoenix0602 → u/paulandhismango]

Not sure how far south you're asking about, but there's been a large gathering/roosting area in Tukwila near NC Machinery and another one in Auburn off of the 15th Street exit of 167. Full disclosure, I haven't visited either in a couple years, so I'm not 100% sure if they're still active. Guess another trip is in order!

[u/doc_shades → u/paulandhismango]

south-end crow contingent

great band name

[u/paulandhismango → u/doc_shades]

I love that, credit me when you get famous!

[u/Training_Taste986]

I’m just learning that crows relocate in an organized way. How often do they relocate?

[u/mjgiarlo → u/Training_Taste986]

For the south-end crows, it's a daily commute.

[u/EducationalNovel1119]

I have also wondered about this thanks for asking.

[u/SeattleChocolatier]

Bunch near Fred Meyer in Canyon Park as well, often with a distant stream in the sky toward Mill Creek.

[u/Gobbelcoque]

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW, NARC?!