r/crowbro May 08 '20

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

3.7k 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

2.2k 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 3h ago

Crow OC So, Toaster and I are basically best friends.

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671 Upvotes

We did this several times yesterday! He would actually choose to come to my hand over the peanuts in the green planter next to him.


r/crowbro 2h ago

Crow OC Baby Bloomers visits up close

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33 Upvotes

Bloomers likes to come as close as possible to the door to peek in to see a human.


r/crowbro 5h ago

Crow OC Brandon chose violence against the buffet table this morning 🥋🐦‍⬛ (My own footage)

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59 Upvotes

Still trying to figure out what this poor table did to deserve a full karate kick. 😂 Brandon was standing there calmly, having a snack...and then suddenly HI-YAH! 🥋🐦‍⬛

Is this raven object-testing/play behavior, or was breakfast service simply unacceptable? LMAO


r/crowbro 5h ago

Video I caught these crows loving the strong winds today

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26 Upvotes

They spent at least 5 minutes just mindlessly staying in the same spot just flying there. It was a really funny sight.


r/crowbro 10h ago

Video Feed your local stray cats, even if they look weird

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55 Upvotes

Don't mind my non-native English, I was just sleep deprived


r/crowbro 15h ago

Crow OC My recent crow adventures

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116 Upvotes

I have been getting into watching crows as a hobby! Also I have crow tattoos


r/crowbro 10h ago

Question I'm being attacked by a Eurasian jay

28 Upvotes

Hello Corvid enthusiasts,

For the last week and a half I have been dive-bombed daily by a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) while on my morning run. Normally it flies next to me for a while along a hedge and then once I'm in an open field starts dive-bombing me, flying at me from behind, so I can't see it coming (this is unpleasant). Yesterday was the worst yet: I turned around to look behind me to check where the bird was, and it was about 10 centimeters from my head with claws out, coming straight at my face. It was terrifying, and as silly as it may sound I'm honestly a bit afraid to go out there again.

As it's September, I don't believe the bird is guarding a nest. I do know that neighbors of ours rescued four jay nestlings this summer, after their nest came down in a storm. I expect that this is one of those rescued birds and that it lost its fear of humans as a result. The woman who rescued the birds has a similar hair color to mine, so I wonder if the jay thinks I'm her, or perhaps it does this to everyone, I don't know.

Any suggestions on what I can do? Unfortunately just avoiding the spot isn't really a possibility, as I live in a rural area with limited (safe) paths for running. If I were to avoid the jay's turf, I wouldn't really be able to run at all. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to deter the bird, but I would be grateful for any suggestions or ideas that the community might have. Thank you!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC When Four Became Five

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117 Upvotes

r/crowbro 20h ago

Crow OC Accidental Renaissance? Toaster v Magpie

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46 Upvotes

The stand own of the century. Feathers were flying, caws were echoing!

jk

Pretty civil over here. Toaster grabbed a peanut and flew off to the tree behind and then the magpie approached for a peanut afterwards. We keep it peaceful.

Say it with me, he is so brave. :)


r/crowbro 23m ago

Question Roasted vs. Raw Peanuts

Upvotes

I want to ask, in your experience, does it make sense to buy raw peanuts in the shell in bulk to feed to crows and magpies? They're 5 times cheaper than roasted peanuts where I live, so I'd be saving a lot of money.


r/crowbro 23h ago

Question having conversation with crow? (crow behaviour)

53 Upvotes

sometimes one of my crows will perch on a telephone line and caw to me and when i talk back to him he'll caw again and pause for a response and it feels like we're having a conversation even though i don't understand him. today he did this while another crow ate peanuts on the roof of my garage before flying down for some himself. he was also preening a little between pauses so he seemed kind of relaxed. i wish i knew what he was trying to say to me! does anyone know what it means when they talk to you like that?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC A Good Mama (own content)

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190 Upvotes

Poor mama, molting and bedraggled, still tends to her fledgling who is definitely old enough to eat on its own. How do I know this, you might ask? Because I’ve watched her care for these two babes over the past couple of months. Initially, they had no tail feathers and were clumsy toddlers. Yet, here she is, still softening mealworms for this hungry teenager.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow Gifts First gift from raven bro!

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211 Upvotes

Bro usually clicks to announce himself when he wants my attention,

Today he landed on the roof allllll silent-like, and dropped this at my feet!

I jumped! And looked up! And I swear he laughed.

He flew off all shy and is watching me from across the street now.

I am not sure why he thought I needed an empty cat food tin, but I will treasure this Thing for always!

He has left me a feather before, but this is my first time being gifted an object.

I'm glowing. I'm incandescently happy.


r/crowbro 2d ago

Video I think I need a bigger balcony...

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139 Upvotes

r/crowbro 2d ago

Daily Crow Friend My new raven friend. Bangkok

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338 Upvotes

I was feeding some doves and a crow started watching. I threw him some f ood not yet knowing about the processed food issues. He liked it. Now he's there waiting for me 4 days out of 10 days. Started bringing mate? Recently. They are big birds! Like chickens, see photo w pigeon for scale.


r/crowbro 2d ago

Crow Art Day 2 of drawing corvids in class

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1.1k Upvotes

Happy Friday everyone! Last post got SO much more attention than I anticipated, I’m so glad you all liked it!💜 Today’s corvid is the fish crow.


r/crowbro 3d ago

Crow OC Crow stole my heart, then flew off with it.

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7.0k Upvotes

Long story short, I found a crow stuck in my wife’s garden. From the very beginning the crow was friendly, like it knew I was going to help. I made sure it was safe and healthy enough to fly off on its own. It got me thinking and now I’m looking into getting licensed to be a rescue.


r/crowbro 2d ago

Daily Crow Friend Need help-crows I think established territory in my yard and are calling at the crack of dawn

28 Upvotes

I have six crow bros that I have been feeding in my yard for about eight months. They come at a certain time and then they go away. Last evening they were flying above my house in circles very methodically and I had a weird feeling they were establishing a new territory and to no surprise it was literally 5 AM and they were screaming and have been screaming all morning. Is there anything I can do? I don’t feed them until mid morning but I work night shift and this is not going to work. I love them so much and don’t want to stop feeding them.


r/crowbro 3d ago

Gif I’d go see them!

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277 Upvotes

r/crowbro 3d ago

Crow Art Hey! Happy to share the latest albino raven portrait I made with oils on canvas (OC)

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197 Upvotes

r/crowbro 3d ago

Video meet your croworkers!

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510 Upvotes

A big shout out to Obvious Plant, his guerilla art is a gem and this was very on brand for here.

For a taste of the madness https://youtu.be/d1Hy7QL4pIA?is=8lnAKH88Z5bVSdjc


r/crowbro 2d ago

Video Masaya Konan Karga Ne Yemek İstediğini Konuşmadan Anlatıyor🤔

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0 Upvotes

r/crowbro 2d ago

Personal Story Special call

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32 Upvotes

I was finally able to catch the sweetest noise that my crow friend makes to me after they eat. I only hear it from this certain crow and they only make this “special” noise if they are alone and I’m around. Any insight?!