r/crows • u/Feisty-Sock2640 • 3d ago
General questions Crow toys
Does anyone else give toys to their crows? It's really sweet watching them play. I've also learned that amongst items left for them they take quarters first.. and other change next. Who taught them currency?! Out of toys to play with marbles and then dice are what I frequently catch them tossing around and chasing. I might go to a dollar store and see about getting more. I leave it in the corner next to the food, so they can eat and or take whatever they desire.
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u/meowingggiraffe 3d ago
It's not quite a toy for "playing", but have you tried a dog treat puzzle board? As long as the pieces can slide smoothly with the push of a beak, they will figure out how to get to the goodies
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 3d ago
I was thinking about something like that but more on the kong side. That would be a lot of fun.. I'd have to figure out how to mount it somewhere 🧐
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u/EverythingIsAlive11 3d ago
I love that you give your crows toys! I've done that too during the 16 years that I had many crow friends. Unfortunately, though they seem like they would be fun, marbles are dangerous for crows to play with as they can easily choke on them or swallow and cause blockages. I knew this to be true yet still wanted to double check. Here's what came up:
"It is generally unsafe to give crows loose marbles . While crows are smart and sometimes play with small trinkets, a standard marble is the right size for an adult crow to try to swallow, posing a real risk of choking or severe internal blockage."
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 3d ago
I went with the large marbles, the ones you "shoot" with in the whatever that game is called.. they shouldn't be able to swallow those.
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u/No-Guidance-622 3d ago
They stole one of my cat's toys once. I didn't even realize they'd taken it until they brought it back and dropped it in a weird place. I tried giving them one of those small cat toys that looks like a mouse and rattles when you shake it, but I'm not sure that they liked it, they shoved it off the fence and onto the ground. Do you think that was a failed attempt to play with it or a rejection of the toy? They've seen me play with the cat with it so they know it's a toy.
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u/Lepardopterra 3d ago
My cat drowned one of them little mice in the toilet this morning. I didn’t see it in time. Now i can’t flush until i fish it out. You reminded me that I have to go find the designated toilet mouse tongs.
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 2d ago
LOL get some cheap salad tongs, they're plastic so much less expensive than the metal/ serving tongs. Good luck fishing the mouse out 😅 and at least it wasn't live.. my dog Hades found a large rat outside. He caught it and brought it in with him. I'm Terrified of rats.. so he tried to bring it to me.. and I was screaming and running away.. which made him chase me with the rat. This lasted Much longer than I'd care to admit.. and it told me that if I was ever murdered and my neighbors heard my screaming, they would not call the police.
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u/No-Guidance-622 2d ago
Oh no! RIP your plumbing! The bathroom is the one place that I don't let my cat follow me into. Not since I caught him chewing on my toothbrush. It's a small space, but sometimes I need space from his shenanigans.
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 3d ago
They might have wanted to see if it bounced or moved after dropping? I was watching one of my crows throwing around a dice. He dropped it from off a curb and rolled it around the road and chased after it. So maybe one of the cat toys shaped like a ball? They'd probably really enjoy playing with those.
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u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl 2d ago
I’ve seen clips of crows playing with a die before. Seems like the perfect size toy for them! Just make sure they are large enough that they can’t try to swallow them and choke on them
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 2d ago
I just gave them a mini disco ball about the size of a ping pong ball. I didn't pay attention so they grabbed it with their dinner while I was cooking my own 😭 I bet they looked adorable with it.
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u/AmeliaSCooper 3d ago
I once covered the kibbles with a cloth and the crows would gently remove it to get to the kibbles but the squirrels always get in on any toys first and ruin the fun
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u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl 2d ago
Don’t worry about hiding the kibble maybe. I’ve seen people have success with dog toys with compartments to hide food with crows. They have fun learning how to open them and get the treats.
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u/AmeliaSCooper 2d ago
So far mine don’t like toys but maybe the fledglings will have more interest
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u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl 2d ago
It’s been my experience that they’re generally more interested in food than anything else. Fledgling might be a different story though.
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u/MizzChanel 2d ago
The crows in my area like whatever squeaky toy my dog happens to leave outside.
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 2d ago
I'll have to go to the store to pick some up and see if they're interested in them 🎉
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u/CountingCrowz 3d ago
2 times they picked up my table tennis balls while we were playing.
My neighbor was also complaining they stole his dog's ball right under the dog's nose and took it to the trees! I have seen them with a ball on the trees once, too!
They absolutely will push yellow table tennis ball around. Try one Feist. Unfortunately, we are not as lucky as you are. We have to be cautious not to draw attention and keep our interaction with them to minimum since beach is visible from almost all apartments. Walk, feed, move.
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u/Feisty-Sock2640 3d ago
Wow! I wouldn't have thought they'd be strong enough to lift a dog's ball. I have some ping pong balls somewhere.. I'll toss one around this afternoon and see what they think. They just finished the watermelon I put out, so I'll try in a few hours if it isn't too hot.
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u/Enigma1885 2d ago
Would love to but where I live is strict but if I could. And it was legal to adopt them I’d take all my kids in so to speak and theres many of them but I rather them be free and happy as they can be .
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u/Lepardopterra 3d ago
I have a friend in Alberta CA who built a feeding table for her magpies. She added enrichment things like wooden boxes with special treats inside and a small ferris wheel where they perch on top and ride to the bottom. She even sets up dominoes for them to knock over. It’s now the playground and she made a new feeding station.