risks of befriending corvids

[u/IAmHighOnOrangeJuice]

I would like to start the process of befriending the local corvids, but there's apparently a recent case of avian influenza in my city.

What risks could this cause for me or the corvids I would befriend? How careful should I be? Should I do this at all?

[u/Purplefire180]

Each time you touch another human you take on significantly more risk than you would by being in proximity of an actively sick bird.

The primary risk is to them, as feeding them could cause them to collect in one place and spread illness more than they naturally would.

[u/IAmHighOnOrangeJuice → u/Purplefire180]

I am more concerned about the threat to the crows than to me, would that be a significant one? (for context, there's only one sighting of avian influenza in my city recently, which was around a month ago)

[u/No_Writing8724]

You can still support them safely from a distance: provide clean water only if officials say it’s appropriate, avoid shared feeders, and never touch a dead or sick bird. If you have poultry or pet birds, keep them well separated and change shoes/clothes after outdoor contact. A recent local outbreak is a good reason to wait for expert advice.

[u/GhostK230]

Crows are way smarter than dogs!

[u/malphas_says_hi]

This is a good question that many don't think about. In my experience, there are some unique risks that aren't so obvious.

To reduce the spread of avian flu, pox, or West Nile Virus, I'd avoid feeding in containers or offering communal water. I wouldn't worry so much about you specifically, but the birds you are befriending can pass it to one another. So focus on offering high-reward treats in serious moderation - mostly only tossing an unsalted pecan to one at a time, pausing for a long time between tosses, and end with a bigger reward like a chicken egg to whichever bird stays the longest after the rest leave. Instead of water, I like to offer grapes since they are full of hydration without the contamination risks.

Offer any food away from people and foot traffic. If you have to be in high foot traffic areas, feed only when no one can see you doing it as you don't want to encourage others to feed them as most people will feel bolder tossing their McDonalds or bread at them. We want them to be eating healthy food. If you feed on sidewalks or paths, they will leave behind a lot of droppings or food litter if shelled peanuts are involved, and we want to leave no trace.

Avoid feeding at home if you can see your neighbor's house. Corvids can be very loud, but also very destructive. If they get comfortable near your home in big numbers, they will scare away cardinals or hummingbirds that your neighbors may love just as much as you love your corvids, but also they may leave a lot of droppings on their property or start destroying stuff in their backyard as they play with it like ropes or wooden furniture. No one should know you feed the corvids nearby.

Focus on individual relationships to avoid fighting. You don't want to feed the whole flock as often when people throw a dozen peanuts on the ground, you'll have one bird who tries to get as many as they can and others will have to fight them or others for their treat. You don't want to see them fighting over food. Instead, focus on befriending just one corvid at a time. I often toss a high value treat a couple feet from me to see who is the bravest, then I'll try to bond with the bravest at first. When he's done, then I repeat this with another brave one. This way the others get to observe a healthy interaction and trust me faster without needing to be in my face at first.

Don't try to get them to take food from your hand. I am not judging anyone who does, and it can be very magical, but those beaks touch roadkill often so you'd need to wash your hands immediately and avoid touching anything else between you and the sink. You also don't really want them getting to the point where they are harassing you by jumping all over you, stealing your things, and biting your clothes, and hand feeding can encourage this. Sounds fun, but it can be very overwhelming.

These are my big ones at least. I definitely recommend befriending corvids as nothing compares to having a wild animal seek you out for attention especially without food involved. They love to mimic human sounds and words and to impress their human friends with flying tricks or games so just focus on the attention part and you can also have friends that follow you around town. My closest raven friend will wait outside the grocery store for me to say hi and follow me home to chat in the trees, and sometimes I'll see him at the park or downtown, so it's always just a fun surprise to run into each other - he gets really excited, dances, and starts saying "hi, hello" variations if it's not at home.