Crows – Page 4 – BestBirdGuide

With their intelligence and the parallels of their behaviors with humans, crows are highly fascinating birds. I have found that watching crows wherever they are is not only a source of entertainment but provides an insight into how they think and behave. It's only natural to want to draw these birds to you, but how do you even begin the process of attracting crows to your yard? To attract crows to your yard, you need to create an environment where they feel safe and comfortable. This can be done by providing a quiet place, food, water, and a roosting area. From there on out, all you need is patience to see if crows choose to flock to your yard. Crows have a terrible reputation as destructive birds, often being blamed for damage caused by other animals. Despite popular belief, having crows around your house has several environmental benefits. While you can attract crows to your yard, you can take your interaction with these birds a step further and befriend them due to their capacity to form relationships with humans. How To Attract Crows To Your Yard? To attract crows, you need to appeal to their survival instincts. The best way to accomplish this is by appealing to their need for safety and easy access to food. Attracting crows may not be a quick task. At first, other birds and animals like squirrels will be attracted to your yard and make use of the food and other things you are providing. If you give crows the time to identify and trust your home as a source, you will see them begin to gather, thus starting your relationship with them. Providing Resources and an Ideal Space As a general rule, all animals will gather where there are resources crucial to their survival. So, to attract crows, you merely need to know what they need and then provide it. From something obvious like food and water to something that supports their social lifestyle like a roosting area, you can do a combination of things to attract our dark feathered friends. Food A simple and effective way to attract any and all kinds of animals to your home is through feeding them. Having reliable sources of food is crucial to any creature’s survival. Crows have excellent memories, so if you feed a crow, not only will it return for more, but it will bring some friends along too. An integral part of feeding any animal is thinking of the food you will be giving them. Crows have highly efficient digestive systems and will eat almost anything, but you still need to ensure that you provide them with good nutrition. Food and water go hand-in-hand for crows as they are known to dip or dunk their food into the water to moisten it, freshen it up, or take it back to their nest for other family members. However, before you begin leaving food around your yard, be sure to check with your local laws if you are allowed to feed crows. Many jurisdictions forbid feeding wild animals, for they may become a nuisance. Water Providing water in the form of a pond or birdbath is yet another way to attract crows and any other birds. Crows need water for bathing, drinking, eating, feather maintenance, as well as cooling off in the hotter months. From beating the heat in the summer to needing water as resources become limited in the winter, having a birdbath will ensure year-round visits from these beautiful birds. Given their size, small birdbaths are not likely to attract crows. Crows prefer larger birdbaths, especially dark, long, and deeper ones, than those used for songbirds. Thus, old-fashioned birdbaths, made of concrete, or something similar, are a better option when attracting crows. They are often larger and sturdier, giving them space to play. Roosting Area If you want to attract a group of crows, it would be in your interest to provide a roosting area. Crows are social animals and will collect in areas to observe what is happening around them. Having tall trees, a fence, or any form of perch around your yard could convince them to gather around your home. They usually prefer horizontal roosting poles. You can use existing structures around your home – like trees or fence posts – or install your own pole with a crossbar. This would also provide you with the opportunity to observe crows as they rest and commune with their friends, family, and mates. Quiet Space Despite being very vocal birds, crows are easily spooked by random noises and will avoid areas they consider disturbing. To help crows relax around your home, you will need to remove any potential sources of noises which may scare these interesting birds. Things like creaky doors, bells, whistles, and wind chimes are all examples of noises that will drive crows away. It may be a good idea to spend some time in your garden and observe what may spook crows away. Crows will correlate noisy areas with danger, thus avoiding skittish environments and making it unlikely for them to return to your home. Decoys and Calls Placing some decoy crows around your yard will use the crow’s social mentality, making them believe that it is a good place for them to gather. At least one moveable decoy increases your chances of fooling these intelligent birds. Furthermore, you can easily lure crows to your yard with crow calls on the internet. Crows have many different calls to convey specific messages; popular calls are the attention call, rally call, and the distress call. However, you need to pay attention to the call you use since the wrong call may warn them away from your property instead of towards it. How Are Crows In Your Yard Beneficial? Many people consider crows a nuisance, but there are numerous benefits to attracting crows; from pest control, waste management, and population control of larger predatory birds, their benefits outweigh the minor damage they do. Crows consume tons of waste annually, preventing the spread of disease. This makes them essential for waste management in urban areas. While they may not be attracted to bird feeders, they find particular interest in compost piles and scraps left behind by pets and other animals. Due to their omnivorous diet, crows will eat insects and grubs, as well as fruits and vegetables, anything else they can get their claws on. Due to their vast diet, crows are key in keeping a lid on insect populations. Furthermore, diminishing crow populations have shown to allow an increase in larger predatory birds such as hawks and eagles, making the presence of crows a controlling factor in the number of larger, more threatening species of birds. Befriending Crows - How To Befriend a Crow? If you choose to go a step further and befriend the local crows, you should know what you are getting into. Crows are one of the only birds that recognize and remember humans and can form relationships with them. Humans and crows share a mutual curiosity about the other. Thus, it is natural that our curiosity would lead us to befriend the mysterious birds. However, crows are often cautious and aloof around humans and will not readily approach you. With humans being one of their largest predators, a crows' caution is justified, so if you're looking to befriend crows, you need to create a safe and comfortable environment. To make your home appealing to them, it should be a quiet place with readily available resources like food. To successfully befriend a crow, you need to become familiar with their likes and dislikes. Once you have attracted them to your yard and begin to build a rapport, you can try earning their trust with special treats and respecting their space. Like any wild animal, allowing them to come to you instead of vice versa will have a good impression on a crow and build a foundation of trust, which you can then grow. Why Do Crows Gather? Crows gather numerous social and survival reasons. From mourning, and roosting, to sharing information and tools, their behaviors are more interesting than they seem. Crows have grieving rituals, which include flocking to and interacting with their deceased flock-mate in numerous ways. They have been observed to hold 'funerals, but they are thought to do more than mourn, observing their dead to assess the cause of death and if there is an active threat. Roosting is where crows congregate into a large group to sleep. Roosts are often made up of young, unmated birds who don't have their own territory. Gathering in a large group provides warmth, protection, social opportunities, and a chance to share information on where to find resources. Crows may also gather around a person they wish to harm. Crows can remember human faces, hold grudges, and share their grievances with other crows. Thus, if someone wrongs a crow, they will gather other flock members and surround who they wish to mob. Conclusion Attracting crows requires creating a desirable environment, providing necessary resources, and finally, some good old-fashioned patience. Being social birds, crows will tell their flock about the best areas to find sustenance, meaning that attracting even one crow can lead to attracting a large group. Related Posts Can Crows Talk Like Parrots? 8 Birds That Look Similar to American Crows Can You Have a Pet Raven? Raven vs Crows : What's the Difference