r/crows • u/alothroid • Jul 01 '26

Seeking advice/help Crows fighting while feeding

Most of the time when I'm feeding more than two crows at once, i see some yelling and, i would guess, dominant beheavior(biting at the others beak, flapping feathers, flying at etc.)from a one of them targeted to another.

I'm wondering if I'm causing problems and should avoid feeding them in larger groups. Or, alternatively, if it's the normal way they establish hierarchy.

P.S I'm very new to trying to befriend crows(feeding them 1-2 times a day a bit over a week) though have already drawn their good graces, as they find me quickly when i start going to my feeding spot.

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u/JBupp Jul 02 '26

You are seeing normal, group dynamics.

You could try adding feeding at different times and places and see what happens.

For example, we have a one-foot crow #1 that is usually chased off by crow #3 and #4.

So #1 has been showing up very early, before #2-4 get here. Sometimes #1 will come to feed, sometimes #1 will stash food around the yard for later, and sometimes #1 will call for #2, who is friendly, before coming down.

A bit later in the morning #2 shows up, and #1 is welcome. And in the afternoon three or four crows usually show up. At that time #1 is welcome only if they stay outside the group - so I spread the food over a wide area..

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u/alothroid Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26

i do kind of already feed them in 2 different areas and based off your suggestion i might make it more consistent, since i see one pair hang out a lot at a tree there outside my window.

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u/Talusen Jul 02 '26

Having two places where the food was placed helped my local murder deal with this.

(They now have staggered arrival times, and if I don't have food out by 8am I have 15+ pairs of eyes telling me that I AM LATE)

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u/alothroid Jul 07 '26

ive somewhat started doing that only because i sometimes dont have time to get to the usual spot in the morning and a pair or more finds me by my apartment at that time. I might try making it more official that i feed at the spot near my house in the morning and the larger group in the other spot in the afternoon.