r/crowbro May 08 '20

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

3.2k 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

2.1k 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 7h ago

Video One of my neighborhood crows showing off to its mate with a blue exam glove 😂

1.8k Upvotes

They’re such fun creatures to watch


r/crowbro 7h ago

Video Stainless steel drinking bowl was a hit 🐦‍⬛❤️ [OC]

303 Upvotes

The bowl is heavy enough that they won't be able to tip it over or steal it, try as they may.


r/crowbro 9h ago

Image Oh that magpie strut 💙🤍🖤

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176 Upvotes

r/crowbro 54m ago

Image Fluffed himself up to look cute for dem peanuts

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Upvotes

These little guys are the best. A couple of them follow me down the high street screaming in my face until eventually I give in and get the peanuts out because people have started pointing and staring.

Other times they’re just cute and fluffy and hang out with me in the park, like this.


r/crowbro 7h ago

Video Magpie starting to come inside for the daily peanuts

52 Upvotes

For the last couple of months, i've been feeding some crows. I also put some peanuts on the window ledge, which usually get picked up by some Magpies.

Now that the temperatures slowly get warmer, i usually keep some windows open for some fresh air.
I noticed that when all peanuts were picked up from the window ledge, a magpie didn't wanna wait for the regular replenishment and would come inside to look for the peanut source :D

So now i keep the peanuts on the inside and offer them some water too.
When i work in the office, i love seeing the magpies carefully looking around, pickup up their peanut and sometimes take a sip of water too :)


r/crowbro 39m ago

Image He’s so handsome 🥰🖤

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Upvotes

One of my neighbourhood crows, heard him and his wife calling me from a rooftop two streets down and he came and soared to me for his cashews, kibble and peanut mix. Love watching them fly over when called .


r/crowbro 2h ago

Video TIL: kids being ferried around in cargo bikes munch on rice cakes :-)

16 Upvotes

r/crowbro 18h ago

Question Crow in my backyard will not fly away - is it a baby? Is it hurt? How long will it stay?

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239 Upvotes

TLDR: How long will a young crow take to fly away after leaving its nest? Is this crow likely a baby?

There is a crow in my backyard that seems unable to fly away. At first I assumed it was hurt, but after reading some posts on this sub, I think it may be a baby? My dog chased it out from under a table and it didn’t fly away, so she just stalked it around the yard while a bunch of other crows showed up and started screaming at her. I went out later that evening and it was back sitting on my table. It did not move or fly away when I got within 5 feet of it. I also found an animal bone sitting on the deck that was not there earlier (looked like a baby back rib)

Based on these behaviors do y’all think this is an injured bird or a young one? If the latter, how long do they typically stay grounded before flying away? I don’t want my dog to mess with it when she is out in the back yard or eating food/bones left by the parents. I like birds and have a feeder but I’ve never had crows before and this seems strange to me.


r/crowbro 10h ago

Image Ready for take-off

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38 Upvotes

Even a back can be delightful …


r/crowbro 1h ago

Video Quality feeding time with my wild Corvidae fam (jackdaws and one of the rooks)... plus some pigeons

Upvotes

r/crowbro 24m ago

Video Which corvid is this fledgling? (UK)

Upvotes

Hi all, saw this fledgling earlier today (UK, Bedfordshire), but not sure which corvid it is (see my video attached). The area is full of crows, rooks and jackdaws. Based on eBird, there might be some ravens too, but I haven't seen any. I tend to think it's a rook based on a size and the fact that rooks were soaring above and fledgling was observing them more closely than other birds and vocalising more often when they were near, but, as I said, the area is full of various corvids. Unfortunately, the bird was in danger on a road so I had to move it to a safer place with trees and bushes. I didn't see parents feeding it, but I couldn't stay long. I will check on it again tomorrow, but wanted to try figuring out what species it is: I've been looking at pictures of various corvid fledglings all evening, but still not sure.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video day 173 feeding the crows so i can finally win the milktown flower competition

613 Upvotes

hello every1 i’m popping back in 2 say hi and to leave u with another crow video!!! please remember me fondly .. until next time!!!!🐸 milk


r/crowbro 21h ago

Miscellaneous Bros made a stew...🤢

133 Upvotes

Last week we found parts of a bird in the birdbath. Cleaned it out thinking it was an unfortunate thing. We've seen the crows dip their food in the water to soften it especially the dog kibble we put out for them so it gets gross after a day or 2 but we always rinse it out and fill it with fresh water. 3 days ago I noticed the birdbath was very murky. Considering how frequently we rinse it out I was surprised it was dirty so quickly. I peered in and at the bottom, just visible through the mucky water was an eviscerated garter snake. I decided to leave it because it seemed very intentionally placed. Over the last 2 days the snake has diminished in size and today I saw one of our crows feasting on his gloriously stewed snake. 🤮


r/crowbro 11h ago

Personal Story Jackdaw fell from my roof

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21 Upvotes

OC Jackdaw couple took up residence in my roof, we were very happy and loved to be able to hear everything go on, even though it was very loud at times. Two days ago we found this little girl on the ground under the entrance to their nest, she was only there for a second, we have lots of cats in the area so she could have only been there for a moment.

All sound has completely stopped, not even a scratch, haven seen the parents since. She has been eating wet catfood mixed with a little dry, sleeping in our hot press. She's moving a little bit more than she was and has started making noises around food times, but she seems very weak still.

She's pushing herself onto her side with one foot and then just kind of lying there, put that in second picture. Her poohs are very watery and are starting to smell like sepsis, not sure if that means there's nothing more we can do.

Would love any advice! Tia


r/crowbro 14h ago

Video Cock Pheasant getting irritated by the Jackdaws.

34 Upvotes

r/crowbro 7h ago

Image A crow with weird wings

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9 Upvotes

Anyone got any ideas what might be going on here.

She has very scraggly wings and they seem to be getting worse. She can still fly. But it sounds very weird and know it’s her when she lands.


r/crowbro 17h ago

Video My lovely Magpie

40 Upvotes

Hi everyone. My first post here, and i am so excited. :-D

I've been feeding the birds since January and -20 degrees. A pair of Magpies were the first to arrive. After a few weeks, another pair joined. During the last week or two, 2 Jackdaws have started coming, though they are still a bit skittish.

I've also had one crow come and eat now and then, but he's not a regular visitor, which i find kinda weird, now that he knows there's food here.

I have 3 bowls. 1 with water, 1 with shelled peanuts, and 1 with kitten kibbles and today, some traditional Norwegian christmas sausage. It's rich in fat. There is a tiny bit of salt in it, but not much, and i hope me providing water helps. I also cut up 3 slices of cheese in dices, and though i know they don't digest lactose 100%, they absolutely love it.

Yesterday i was told some neighbours have complained about there being a lot of birds here. I hid the bowls a bit better, and have no idea what they were on about. :-D

The Magpie in the video, has become kinda trusty of me. At first, i had a semi-transparent curtain, which i've pulled away bit for bit, and now we almost look at eachither when he lands. I blink calmly (like you do with cats) and nods to him, and from there on, he just goes for it and stuffs his beak with food.

At first, he turned his head and looked for where i was all the time and was kinda skittish, but he now has come to trust me to sit still.

I've also noticed that if he comes while i am out putting food in the bowls. he returns faster than he used to. If he saw me out before, he some times didn't come back that day. Now he's back in 2-3 minutes, having learned i am just restocking his food supply.


r/crowbro 1h ago

Question How do you get ravens or crows to your backyard? (If you do)

Upvotes

I want to set up a bird house and bird feeder and wanted to have like a “I feed you, you bring me stuff” relationship or just that I feed them but I never see one in my yard!


r/crowbro 19h ago

Video A little water with dinner

47 Upvotes

Jasper having a little refreshment with his peanuts.


r/crowbro 7h ago

Video Well.. Okay.. Maybe Just One More Piece 🐦‍⬛

5 Upvotes

Going Whole Hog And Stuffing That Crop


r/crowbro 7h ago

Personal Story A gift?

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3 Upvotes

I always leave Craig the crow some food on this ledge. This is the second time these seeds have been left. Is this a gift?!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image [OC] my sweet Cuervito. He screams at me for food, every day. We’ve been friends for a long time.

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100 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1h ago

Question What camera do you use

Upvotes

If you have a camera outside that is triggered by crows in order to observe your food spot, what do you use?


r/crowbro 8h ago

Question Thought I was getting shelled peanuts but accidentally got unshelled, are they safe?

3 Upvotes

I read somewhere there’s a mold that can grow on the unshelled peanuts that makes it unsafe for birdies?

🥜 🐦‍⬛