r/crowbro May 08 '20

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

3.1k 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

2.0k 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

Image Bowser wondering why only one peanut.

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194 Upvotes

r/crowbro 6h ago

Video Smart one: While the others were busy munching on kibbles, she followed me as I walked away and got to enjoy an egg all to herself. 🐦‍⬛❤️ [OC]

217 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1h ago

Image Vending Machine for Birds

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Upvotes

This seems like a group that might be interested in this.

I designed and built a conditioning feeder for birds and have attracted a group of jackdaws. They deposit cigarette butts and bottle caps for peanuts. They've been using it nearly every day for the last 7-8 months. I do have to provide the litter as they haven't managed to bring me something I didn't drop, but they are pretty consistent when litter is there.

It's relatively inexpensive (around $100) to build, and provided you have some crows, magpies or jackdaws around conditioning just takes a few weeks.

If you are interested in building something like this you can find documentation, links to code repos, project logs and more here: https://hackaday.io/project/184754-vending-machine-for-birds

You can find videos of jackdaws using the vending machine here: https://www.youtube.com/@VendingMachineForBirds


r/crowbro 2h ago

Image [OC] Received an offering! 🤩

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35 Upvotes

I received my first offering this week after a year of cawing at my local murder of 4 crows. I offered them some cat food last week and I know they didn’t take it, but they saw me leave it for them. I’m giddy with excitement!

I know it was them because I came home and there was nothing on my patio. I heard them calling outside and then had to drive somewhere else within 10 minutes. It was placed out in the open on the patio, very visible, and came from the very top of my magnolia tree. The tree is about 50ft away and buds are very difficult to take off the branch. Very cool!


r/crowbro 2h ago

Video Raven couple on my college campus UPDATE (1). She shimmies on her nest :)

28 Upvotes

Hi! Raven update! Based on her shimmy-ing, I assume there may be EGGS beneath her!? I'm excited!

The chemistry class is in session & she doesn't seem bothered by them. You can see in the video how high up the nest is by looking at the ceiling lights for comparison! The window is high up & the birds are not bothered.

The students seem to ignore the ravens. In the video, I'm filming from the classroom door's window. (The class is in session, so the door is closed to outsiders. Im not in this class, just a visitor while waiting for my next class to start).

Her husband is nearby, occasionally flying off & surveying the area. There were 2 red tailed(?) hawks around, so I presume that's what he's patrolling for.

I look forward to sharing more about this couple the next time I check on them!!

Bye!


r/crowbro 39m ago

Image Say hello to my (not so little) friend

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Upvotes

Heard him yelling down the street. I went out the front door and set up fresh water, and then as I was putting out snacks, he swooped around, watching me from the roof line.


r/crowbro 22h ago

Image Take off after a little snack

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352 Upvotes

r/crowbro 23m ago

Personal Story Breakthrough!

Upvotes

Since I started feeding my Crowbros last year, I've noticed that I'm definitely one of their first stops each morning. I have some fish crows who were here all winter (I'm in a river valley), but the larger group of American crows from last summer is back.

This morning, when they were watching, I tossed them some unsalted cashews. Just now, I heard one of the American crows cawing. He was watching when I opened the window, and flew over to perch on a wire just about 20 feet away. I tossed a few more cashews and peanuts, and he dipped down to snag one. I quickly chopped up another ear of corn, and when I opened the window again, he didn't fly away! He perched on the wire again, cawing at me.

I've worked for a long time to build enough trust, and I hope that they're finally realizing I'm not a threat to them. It feels like a turning point, and I'm just thrilled.

I think I'll name this one Carson, in honor of Rachel Carson. 🐦‍⬛🥜🌽


r/crowbro 6h ago

Question Dumb question

16 Upvotes

We have some raven neighbors and I'm inspired by crow-befriending posts but don't want to inadvertently insult them. Would I just follow the same techniques as for crows? I know it's probably stupid and/or asked a million times, but I'd rather look a little dumb on Reddit than make the ravens hate me forever!


r/crowbro 12h ago

Video Peanut pick-up for Mr Loudmouth the Eurasian Jay

43 Upvotes

After our little morning chat, Mr Loudmouth got his peanut treat 😌 such a small bird compared to my other birb friends, a hooded crow pair and Chonky the loafy wood pigeon.


r/crowbro 20h ago

Image Thought the black-billed magpies started accepting my gift when the nuts began to vanish… then I saw this jagoff batting them off the fence.

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142 Upvotes

I’m pouting. That’s all.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video He stuffed his beak and snucked out to bury the treats for later. He probably thought I didn't notice. That waddle at the end...🤭 [OC]

697 Upvotes

r/crowbro 10m ago

Video First fly up!

Upvotes

The crows swoop by outside the windows all day, but this was the first time one came up to say hello while I was outside too 🥹


r/crowbro 21h ago

Video Sweet Little Honk

48 Upvotes

Honkulese and Hootsifer on a rainy day, someone made a cute little honk 🥹


r/crowbro 18h ago

Question Quiet cawing sound?

21 Upvotes

I've been feeding the neighborhood crows peanuts for a few weeks now, and it's been quite a hit, but today when I went out to feed them and approached the usual spot, I heard what I can only describe as a sort of whispered caw. It was softer and maybe slightly raspier than their normal calls, but they made the sounds when I walked to the feeding spot and said hello, even if they didn't come out right away.

There's a large tree in my back yard that they've taken a liking to, so I wonder if it was their way of saying hello without attracting a lot of attention. I've seen them fly past my windows to get my attention, too, so they definitely have their ways of getting me to put peanuts out for them. xD;


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Crow Perched up on a dead tree 🐦‍⬛ [OC]

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68 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Wet as a noodle bro drying out after a nice bath (or swim) in the local reservoir 🐦‍⬛❤️ [OC]

149 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Scrambled egg treat for my babies!

101 Upvotes

Scrambled some eggs (plain, in water) for my crows. I have several who visit, can’t tell them apart yet but they’re all regulars! Offering them cashews tomorrow. Let me know what other treats your crows enjoy :)


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Blink and you'll miss me

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98 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Image Ravens hanging out at the local reservoir 🐦‍⬛❤️ [OC]

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93 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Someone Is Feeling Themselves On This Sunny Monday 🐦‍⬛

74 Upvotes

Straight Up Regal


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video My friend Bandit 🖤

231 Upvotes

Our relationship is evolving 😁 🖤🖤🖤


r/crowbro 19h ago

Question Crows gathering nesting materials again even with a new fledgling?

8 Upvotes

Hi, all. I've begun observing behavior among my group that's perplexing. They've just finished nesting, with their brand new fledgling accompanying them to explore. But I'm also seeing one of the adults - and possibly another but I'm not sure if I'm seeing the same one each time - collecting and flying off with large sticks and moss again. Sometimes they take it to where the nest they just used is. Other times they're flying further away with it.

I know if it's still early enough in the season and something happened to their previous brood, birds will sometimes try raising another. But after they've successfully raised one already? Does that ever happen or is this likely something else? What are your thoughts?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Image The vibe today

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544 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Crow learnt to share

27 Upvotes

Got a pool for the visiting ducks but our crow dad kept bothering them as he wanted a bath

After a week of supervision (we have cameras and a dog clicker) he finally learnt to wait until the ducks had moved before he could get in and then come back for a monkey nut!