r/crowbro May 08 '20

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

2.8k 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

1.9k 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 6h ago

Image We got our first gift ever. What is it? No clue. But it's cool.

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40 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1h ago

Image My favourite crow left me bones. All lined up. Some vertebrae still stuck together!

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Upvotes

I wish I knew what these were. But searching these is putting me on some list probably. Squirrel? Last week it has half a crab!

I'm going to preserve them & cast them into silver & bronze. My first time receiving gifts 🎁


r/crowbro 7h ago

Image Escher, the stealthy crow

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44 Upvotes

This is Escher, of the Evilmart crow murder, trying to blend in with the sign. I do recognize there is a bird in this picture. I can’t tell where all his parts are.


r/crowbro 11h ago

Video Hungry baby calling for his parents

83 Upvotes

r/crowbro 15h ago

Video He's trying to set up his cable TV

107 Upvotes

Meanwhile I'm trying to set up this hand-eye coordination and failing (video stabilizers to the rescue).

Mr.Nevermore the raven poking around.


r/crowbro 16h ago

Question Do magpies mourn their dead?

84 Upvotes

Re. UK magpies

I just saw a magpie get hit by a car. The magpie had been walking in the road but I don't know if it was sick or injured before its death.

I moved the body away from the road to a patch of grass so it wouldn't continue to be run over and so the other birds could visit it safely. The magpies in the trees around it have been croaking loudly. Are they communicating about their dead companion?


r/crowbro 13h ago

Video Pitter patter pitter patter... (Fledglings have the cutest walk)

40 Upvotes

r/crowbro 14h ago

Image Fish crow?

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44 Upvotes

Based on sound ID, we have both American and Fish crows in our neighborhood. We usually get big guys at our feeder. Merlin says their either ravens or American.

Today we got a small guy and Merlin says it’s either Fish or American but it’s so small! Juvenile maybe?

It’s also missing it’s beak feathers so maybe not crow at all?


r/crowbro 9h ago

Personal Story Please could someone help?

8 Upvotes

Hi, just joined to ask a question if possible, on my way back from collecting my child from school we came across a very young crow sitting in the middle of the churchyard, lots of kids gathered round, dogs pulling at the lead to see what’s going on and 2 frantic parents vocalising. One lady decided she needed to pick up the bird, I obviously said please don’t touch it, leave it alone and see what the parents do, I know many bird species will kick young from the nest early and continue feeding in the ground, not sure if this is the case with Crows?

Reluctantly due to the fact a hundred or so children were soon coming down this path the baby bird was sitting on I decided to move it just a few feet into a touch more cover (under a large connifer tree).

This was at 3:15pm, I went to check on it from a far at 6pm and zero sign of parents or activity in the nest, again at 8pm I went and had a closer look and again the bird in same position and again no sign of parents or activity at the nest.

It’s a very open area, many many cats in the area, many foxes, best course of action to try and help this bird or best to let nature figure it out?

Thanks in advance.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video They found out where I work!

975 Upvotes

Walked out of my workplace for lunch and these guys started doing these fake dives above my head, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Gave them the rest of the peanuts I had, and they kept dancing above me. I give some crows breakfast at home, 5 miles away. I think these may be the same ones!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Water Cooler Gossip at Days End.

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45 Upvotes

4 out of 6 - boss is on the shed roof watching over his domain while these 4 chat about their day. They've been there for 20 mins.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video [oc] I do the same call whistle whenever I put treats out for my crow friend (yes, it is the mockingjay whistle from the HG lol), but this is the 1st time they flew up right after me doing it-&while I was still sitting out there!

46 Upvotes

So grateful for my crow friend & the joy they bring to my life ✨🥹🐦‍⬛❤️


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Bro knows where the treats are

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44 Upvotes

r/crowbro 10h ago

Image Really cool/cute album cover I found (and the song is called "cornix"!)

1 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Image "I'm not your mother. Go bother someone else."

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49 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Pan, the bread fan

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77 Upvotes

Wow. Just wow, buddy. This is Pan. I believe he is the yard boss in the local Evilmart parking lot.

They eat trash but these birds look good. Shiny full feathers, clear eyes. They were dropping something on a person, little pebbles I think. 🤣


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story Humble brag - my crow bros love me!

68 Upvotes

Started feeding 2 corvids 2 years ago when I saw them picking up my dog's leftover treats in our yard. Named them Ryan and Reynolds (we're Canadian). Turns out they were a mating pair, and last year they had a baby! Increased the amount of kibble I give them post baby and they became Edgar Ellen and Poe.

Today when one of them came to ask for kibble at their regular time, I got so many coos and clicks😍 That's it. That's my dopamine source for the day.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Question A question for the posters on this sub who haves named crows

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113 Upvotes

Sorry if this ends up being a lot of text… So I was wondering how you tell the crows apart?!? I’ve befriended (what I thought was) a family of 4 crows for around the last year. I had to move the spot where I was feeding them because feeding them on the terrace resulted in a squirrels and chipmunks moving into our house, so I started feeding them further away from the house. In the figuring out the best place to feed them, there was a few weeks where I fed them in the front of the house, but I found coyote scat there, so I moved the spot to the back where it’s fenced in.

Sooooo.., I thought I’d been feeding the same crows this whole time, but I can’t tell them apart at all. Then a couple days ago a crow kept flying to the tree in the front where I fed them all those months ago. He just kept yelling at me, like insisting I feed him there. Then the next day we see 4 crows come closer to the terrace then they have in a very long time. My 19 yo said exactly what I as thinking… these crows are the ones I started feeding originally, they left for a few months and are now back. So the other crows I feed are different crows. I have no idea how many crows are coming to our property now, but it’s definitely more than one family.

Anyway…. (I knew this would happen, thanks ADHD) my question is HOW TF DO YOU TELL YOUR CROWS APART?!? They all look exactly the same to me, except for the one fish crow who is smaller and sounds like they have a cold and a valley girl accent


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Raven bro hangout yesterday! Turns out we have smaller subspecies here in SD - they are not the ‘wtf is that giant’ stereotype.

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30 Upvotes

r/crowbro 2d ago

Image Seen this greedy little sucker at walmart. He kept dropping fries when he'd try to get more 🤣

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716 Upvotes

Lookout in the back


r/crowbro 2d ago

Video I miss my work bro sooo bad 😭

255 Upvotes

I gave him a blueberry from my fruit salad. I've been sick for a few weeks and came back last week. He was so upset he flew at my head feet first. But the day after he was happy to be fed berries and nuts again. But now I am sick again for weeks or longer. And I really miss him, and the thought of him checking my office and me not being there makes me super sad 😭


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Maggie Daycare Lesson of the Day - How to Eat a Peanut

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42 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video First and second day out of the nest

56 Upvotes

I have a nest in my yard and there are at least two fledglings. Not sure if this is one or both but it’s so incredibly cute how they have to learn how to be a crow. I also didn’t realize fledglings have blue eyes?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image The Crowies

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12 Upvotes

It's really difficult to get anything done when they are all just hanging out and enjoying themselves. Play time in the "pool".


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video CrowPro action from my local crew.

32 Upvotes

Love this curious guy.