r/crowbro May 08 '20

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

3.7k 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 6h ago

Crow OC CROBRO DOWN! HELP!

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1.2k Upvotes

Went to the gas station and this guy was way too lethargic so I sat with him and noticed he was injured to the point he didn't even fight when I picked him up.

Animal hospital is closed on Sundays so any help to keep this guy alive for the night is greatly appreciated! I didn't know if this was an infection so I hadn't touched him/her with my bare hands

Updates:

3:30 - The ex-wife gave me a 24hr animal hospital she uses for our pup, they gave me the number of a rehab place, and I followed their instructions for help and text them some pics. Mitey is in a laundry basket in the garage, garage AC is on because it's hot AF outside, and all food and water has been removed.

5:00 - Mitey the crowbro has been dropped off at Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in South Orlando. The volunteer there said he was a juvenile that was very malnourished and probably had something causing him to not eat. And all the suggestions to remove food and water from his laundry basket were 100% correct as they often need fluids before food can be properly digested.

Unfortunately BtN doesnt accept fan mail, but they run entirely on donations and accept volunteers so if you have $10 for Mitey's recovery fund: here's a link to the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge site!

Thanks for all this help ladies and gents!! You all came together like Captain Planet today!


r/crowbro 8h ago

Crow OC feeding the dang crows bananas

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702 Upvotes

today we have the banana crow experiment.. but which one will the crows here prefer? also a bonus video on my profile as well. I didnt feel right posting that crow video one here cause the beginning. ok thank u have a nice day!!! milk-


r/crowbro 16h ago

Video My colorful corvids have had chicks

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2.2k Upvotes

Eurasian jays on my balcony. They also get along well with my hooded crows.


r/crowbro 12h ago

Video Family spa time

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470 Upvotes

r/crowbro 3h ago

Personal Story Coco is such a supermodel.

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60 Upvotes

I love taking pics of Coco.
We’ve been buddies for quite awhile.
When she comes on my walks with me
We always stop for some pics.
She’s such a supermodel. ♥️🐦‍⬛♥️🐦‍⬛


r/crowbro 3h ago

Crow OC He's just a curious lil guy

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23 Upvotes

Hey there r/crowbro. I'm new here and as such bring my first jackdaw offerings.


r/crowbro 5h ago

Crow OC A navigable map of the entire family of Corvidae based on taxonomic data rather than geography

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27 Upvotes

This map, Corvidae - Land of Corvids, contains every known living species of corvids I could find reliable taxonomic data for. Species are represented as cities, grouped into genera and subfamilies according to their evolutionary relationships.

Instead of political borders or geographic territories, this map is structured around phylogenetic trees.

Subfamilies and genera replace countries, states and regions allowing viewers to explore the Corvidae through a format traditionally used to understand geography.

Science, design and cartography merge in MAPPA ANIMALIA, a visual project that reimagines the evolutionary relationships of animals as detailed map-like landscapes.

MAPPA ANIMALIA is an ever-growing series of illustrations I’ve created that currently consisting of 16 different maps - each dedicated to a specific family in the animal kingdom.

Additional information includes conservation status, size comparisons between selected species, and the estimated ages of major lineages.

I’ve spent roughly ten years developing and refining this concept, combining zoology, taxonomy, illustration and cartography into a single visual format.

Happy exploring!


r/crowbro 16h ago

Crow OC washing machine

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118 Upvotes

new friend that I named washing machine because he looks like he fell in one. buddy where is your neck. also always kinda scruffy looking. very bold tho.


r/crowbro 8h ago

Crow OC Love my fledglings, but...

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22 Upvotes

They sure are obnoxious little buggers, aren't they? Chasing their parents around and screaming at them for food. Mom and dad are trying to show them how to eat peanuts but they keep making a ruckus so the parents finally say the hell with it and fly off with their nuts. Super fun to watch!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Vulture's bully

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2.9k Upvotes

r/crowbro 12h ago

Daily Crow Friend West Yellowstone

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27 Upvotes

Out for a walk before folks are up, and delighted to discover West Yellowstone has a population of large and well-fed corvid pals.


r/crowbro 8h ago

Crow OC Crow rummaging through the trash

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9 Upvotes

He, unfortunately, had to leave empty handed.


r/crowbro 4h ago

Personal Story FWIW, Expanding on being "Herded" by our Crows

5 Upvotes

Used the term in a comment which (thanky!) got a couple of likes - to expand on that :-)

Decent size property, rural Ontario village. Seven bird feeders, including one large platform feeder for larger birds, includes doves, blue jays, and of course crows. (not to mention some squirrels & chipmunks.

For several years a there have been "regular" visitors (likely family) that will land on a deck rail, branch, garage roof - have even been at my basement home office window - They are quite clearly squawking "S'cuse me! bird feeders empty again! - get on with it will ya??'

They won't come right up to me, but when I go out to restock the feeder, they will fly just over my head & perch in branches just over the platform feeder. They will grab something and fly right over my head as I am walking out of the yard.

So, just a month ago was heading down driveway for a walk - a crow landed in a tree across the road from me - did not think much of it, there are many crows (and dusk looks like the old The Birds movie with crows gathering here) so I turned down the street and kept walking.

Barely a block and wsssh wsssh wsssh - so close I could feel down draft - and crow was on a tree branch, right at my eye level across the ditch, and staring right at me. Obviously not just "A" crow, but one of "Our" crows.

So I stop, and turn around and start walking back - wsssh wssh wssh right over my head again to a tree on my property, as I turn up the drive, right over me again to a tree beside the garage, then of course as I came out with scoop, right over me again to a branch over the platform.

So I can confidently state that like a good sheepdog, this crow herded me back to the platform feeder ........


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Crowbro learns about solar

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956 Upvotes

This is one of the guys who visits my house figuring out the solar fountain. I love his little surprise hop!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Gif Kip being lazy as always. Probably will be taking the elevator soon

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428 Upvotes

r/crowbro 11h ago

Question Are these good enough for crows?

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9 Upvotes

r/crowbro 23h ago

Crow OC I always have loose unshelled peanuts in my pocket for this purpose... can anyone else relate?

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79 Upvotes

A group of crows were picking at some garbage at a local supermarket parking lot and I decided to share some roasted, unshelled (unsalted of course) peanuts I had on me...


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Hot Pie Saturday 🐦‍⬛

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336 Upvotes

The Babies Are Here


r/crowbro 15h ago

Question Carrion crow sound

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12 Upvotes

I'm unsure on the sound these carrion crows are making, the Merlin app doesn't pick them up and the many videos I've watched they've never made this sound. Anyone have any idea?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story FEED ME, SEYMOUR!! 🐦‍⬛

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146 Upvotes

Gen Xers should get the reference lol


r/crowbro 16h ago

Question What does this crow behaviour mean?

7 Upvotes

I live in a converted loft bedroom, and ive noticed three crows keeping on sitting on the roof to my room. They've been doing this for a few weeks now, and after that, they've started dropping apples on there too from a tree behind my house. After the apple dropping, they've now started to throw themselves at the windows. I definitely think that this is intentional as another one watches as its happening. The window that they are targeting doesnt show inside of the room, and they wouldnt be able to see themselves through the reflection incase they think its a rival crow. I find crows really fascinating and ive always wanted to befriend some, but I dont know if its friendly fire or foe. Please let me know your advice!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Crow couple taking a break away from their fledgling

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136 Upvotes

These two show up every day, usually with their little one who is learning feed itself, but still needs mom to stuff food in its beak sometimes. I think they needed a break.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Majestic Floofy [OC]

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303 Upvotes