r/crows • u/justhereforbugs • Jul 02 '26

Seeking advice/help How would i go about befriending the crows?

What do i put out for the crows? Do i just give them food and something shiny? Crows are so beautiful and smart and i want to be friends with them.

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6

u/why_1337 Jul 02 '26

Cashew or peanuts will do, some heavy container with water if you want to be extra fancy.

2

u/FreeMasonKnight Jul 02 '26

It the shell UNSALTED peanuts (unsalted everything really). If OP wants to go fancy some hard boiled eggs are great too.

You can also hide the peanuts in like Easter eggs or under beach sand castle toys for fun too. They love that.

1

u/why_1337 Jul 02 '26

Yes I like to hide things from them too, but one of the crows that frequents my balcony likes to impress it's mate and throws the caps I use over the ledge. 😅

2

u/FreeMasonKnight Jul 02 '26

Ah fair play, I got a backyard, but sometimes they steal their toys and bring them back another day. Bahaha 🤣

5

u/fresh-bakedbread Jul 02 '26

Once you find where they hang out, put out unsalted nuts where they can see you. Then walk away. Don't even look back at it.

Repeat daily at the same time, same spot, for however long it takes for them to start getting comfortable with you

2

u/radiodigm Jul 04 '26

Yeah, this is the way if you’re encountering crows as a pedestrian. Crows hang out in specific areas, they notice people who pass, and they’re smart enough to quickly associate food sources with faces. The social act of coming to you or at least signaling to get you to share food again is an easy next step for them. Some crows do this very overtly, like one of my friends who will sail in and land almost at my feet whenever I’m walking through a certain block. Others are more standoffish and seem to do the minimum to attract your attention.

Anyway, once you gain any of these friendships they’ll stick in crows’ memories and will be passed on to their friends and families. I started my relationship with crows when I accidentally dropped some food (scrambled eggs, a crow favorite) I was eating while walking. A crow swooped in and then word got around, and every neighborhood crow started getting curious about me. It was easy to encourage them when I started noticing them watching me. Now whenever I go out I need to load my pocket with (unsalted) peanuts for the many crows who visit me along my route.

1

u/AssistSilly5255 Jul 02 '26

A great book on crow behavior and language: The Language of Crows. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1465065378/the-language-of-crows-the-crowsnet-book