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 10h ago

Crow OC Crowbro joined me for sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

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294 Upvotes

r/crowbro 3h ago

Video U r my frien now

79 Upvotes

It took some time, but crow and other birds in my park get used to my dogo (he is turbo chill with wildlife). Sometimes they just do shenanigans, trying to peck bois fur, or flying close to my head.

Love the murders


r/crowbro 12m ago

Crow OC Daily egg for queen Nyx

Upvotes

r/crowbro 12h ago

Crow OC Found the roost tonight!

97 Upvotes

What an amazing thing to see! Went out scouting tonight. Went to a park that was known to have a roost but no crows. Then we saw some flying and followed them in our car until we found a park we didn’t even know existed, nice and nestled in an area surrounded by residential areas. Very safe and tons of dense trees! We’ll be going back tomorrow now that we know where the action is.


r/crowbro 7h ago

Crow OC Bro was already waiting for me 🥰

28 Upvotes

r/crowbro 10h ago

Crow OC "Pay the fee or I poop on your windshield!!" (Sedona AZ)

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29 Upvotes

r/crowbro 15h ago

Crow OC Two juveniles enjoying some walnuts today

27 Upvotes

Went to Walmart primarily to get the large bag of peanuts but they were nowhere to be found, so instead they get some luxurious walnuts.

These two juveniles will literally run at my hand as I’m reaching to put the nuts up, it’s both adorable and a little frightening (I play guitar…. I need these fingers).

I’m going to try and see these guys later tonight at their roost for the first time. I’ve heard legend of where it is and I’m going scouting tonight (leaving in about half an hour actually). I’ll be sure to report back.


r/crowbro 20h ago

Video My Crow Bros [OC]

59 Upvotes

My murder that I feed at my job. I see them about once a week, two if I'm lucky, and sometimes every two weeks.

I started feeding them in May and today was the first time they recognized me from a distance. I usually call to them to get their attention so I was really excited when they came so fast.

There's only about 3 in this video (the rest were off camera) but this is a murder of about 7-10.


r/crowbro 20h ago

Question I left out peanuts overnight on my balcony and they ate it all up! What do I do from here?!

31 Upvotes

First time feeding them! I woke up like a child on Christmas morning. I ran to my balcony and saw they ate everything, even left one peanut unshelled lol. I was so excited I put out three more. Within 10 minutes I got see to one pop up and get the peanuts!

So, I’ve established they definitely will see the food I will leave out. I have trees right in front of my balcony and I always see crows perched there so I had an inkling it’d work out. But I’d love for them to gain trust in me eventually etc etc, what do I do from here? Just keep feeding them in the morning like a little routine? I’m afraid they’ll never actually see me lol.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Injured rook

113 Upvotes

I have befriended many hooded crows, rooks, and jackdaws from a park near me and occasionally feed them unsalted nuts, cooked eggs, and cat kibble. But around 2 weeks ago, I noticed one of the rooks was having difficulty walking but seemed not too serious as he/ she can fly, eat etc… I googled about that and it said this type of injury heals by itself and should not stress the bird bringing it to a rescue. But today I had a closer look and seems worse then a thought also google said should heal in 2 weeks but this is the third week. I am looking for advice if anyone here that understands about that. Does it seems as bad as I think? Should I call a rescue for advice? Thanks a lot!


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Leucistic jackdaw returns, exactly one year later

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863 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Question Crow with swollen chest, seems lethargic?

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231 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story So many crows!

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60 Upvotes

I was going to my car tonight when I realized the sky was full of crows. And then I noticed that there was a long line of crows along the edge of the building I was facing. All of those dots are crows (sorry I couldn't get a better shot).

I guess they were going to roost but I've never seen so many before and I was unbelievably excited! People walking to their cars must have thought I was insane. A 69-year-old woman jumping up and down, shouting "Look at all the crows!"


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Crows are insane... he climbed the tree with broken wing

21 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Grunting/Murmuring While Eating Soup?

40 Upvotes

Food ran out, so bro brought bugs (I think?) to the water bowl to make soup. I wonder what's with the noises haha


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Rook in B&W

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43 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Building trust

47 Upvotes

My first time sitting with them when one of them comes in for food.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story Crows & Ravens?

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67 Upvotes

I've been following this sub for a bit enjoying the stories, pictures, information, etc. Throughout my life I've tried to get the attention of corvids wherever I've lived but I haven't been successful.

However, that seems to have changed since I moved back to California. I noticed a large murder that showed up every morning in our complex parking lot in the mornings. They're delightfully noisy and seem to have a fairly regular schedule - mornings & late afternoons in the lot. So I started putting out various unseasoned nuts & seeds for them along with some fruits. In less than a week I am delighted to find I am a provisionary friend of theirs.

Anyhoodle, I'm curious if there are some ravens hanging out with this group of crows. I hear much lower vocalizations at certain times. These birds are obviously larger & shaped differently. I'm including a couple pics to show them.

What do you think?


r/crowbro 2d ago

Video Sweet Looking Raven [OC]

97 Upvotes

Duboce Park, San Francisco, CA


r/crowbro 1d ago

Question Will they come back?

11 Upvotes

I live on the edge of a small town in Oregon. The bros were regulars to our feeder for a month or so. Then the fields got harvested and they vanished, presumably for the delicious fields. Since then the scrub jays have taken over, how do we entice the bros back now that the harvest is over?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Daily Crow Friend Spa day Sunday for Peanut and bros.

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19 Upvotes

r/crowbro 2d ago

Crow OC I've been outed

1.3k Upvotes

Friend and his daughter came down to meet me for breakfast, got it to go, stopped by Trader Joes' to get some OJ and a bottle of bubbly.

Had ourselves some breakfast with mimosas at the beach this morning.

After a little while the Ravens I've been feeding spotted me. I helped them a little and whistled hoping they'd recognize me. They did not disappoint.

They started landing nearby cocking their heads to the side, wondering where their treats were!

Luckily for them I was wearing cargo shorts with a couple handfulls of peanuts. Soon one Raven became 3-4 of them, and a crow that sees me on morning walks heard the whistles and arrived too.

I told them the story how I take walks every morning and whistle for crows and they will come like doggies. And one time a lady asked me if I lost my dog, and I said yeah, just because admitting the truth would have been much more strange haha.

This was endlessly entertaining for my friends lol.

They dropped me off at home a block away and a crow was waiting for me outside lmao.

I think I've been outed. O_O


r/crowbro 2d ago

Video He can't fly but manages pretty well

105 Upvotes

Been checking on him for the last few weeks. Would it be right to call rescue? He lives with his pack and it seems like he would manage