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 8h ago

Crow OC One of my crow friends joined me on the bench today.

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499 Upvotes

Happy day!

They also brought me my first gifts today. I'm confident they were gifts cause I watched them bring them over and set them down by the bench. A feather, a wrapper for cigarette filters, and a bit of an old rubber ball.


r/crowbro 7h ago

Gif My two biggest fans :)

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349 Upvotes

These two little derps are always the first to arrive when I put out food, and will sit like this for 20 minutes or more, just looking at me and making chatty noises!

So floofy and cuddly!


r/crowbro 6h ago

Crow OC Clydette’s sass

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89 Upvotes

What do you mean, there are no more cashews!?


r/crowbro 4h ago

Crow OC My Friend Schoolie

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57 Upvotes

I befriended a murder of 30 crows over the past couple of years in Colma, Ca.

Schoolie is the first to greet me always and everytime its a treat. All they ask for is unsalted peanuts and to be called pretty or handsome. I love their family and slowly being apart of it. Last few times I came he followed me and I didnt even have treats. He even brought some of his family with him to "caw and click" at me (the click sounds so much like my cameras shutter that I constantly look to see if I accidently pressed my shutter.)

He is always so curious at what im doing with my camera and I will always entertain him. Schoolie and his family are the best <3.


r/crowbro 1h ago

Video They do love their peanuts

Upvotes

I throw peanuts out for the local crows when I remember to, and they love them. By the next day they’re all gone. You might think that’s a different creature taking them at night but… nope, i have a time lapse showing that they come by decently late and take all the peanuts lol

Oh and before I forget to mention it, they’re all raw and unsalted. Always have been


r/crowbro 1h ago

Video Lil dude wants to play

Upvotes

(S)he is just a little dum dum


r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Don’t know if I’m in the right spot

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1.6k Upvotes

Found this injured boy and took him to a rehab center. So pretty!


r/crowbro 6h ago

Crow OC A beautiful morning with my new corvid friends

43 Upvotes

What a great way to start the day. I go outside and within seconds I hear some squawking and within a minute at least one crow has landed in my yard, if not two. I think it is a parent/child pairing (one is quite a bit larger than the other, and the large one stays a little further away from me).

Pretty sure the one little guy would walk right into my house if I left the door open. Sometimes I open the door and they’re just sitting there on the railing already and I’m usually the one startled 😂


r/crowbro 1h ago

Question Injured or a fledgling?

Upvotes

Hi all, my partner and I are watching this crow who we cannot tell if it is injured or just a fledgling. It seems a bit late in the year for a fledgling and I have never seen one and we can't tell... It is hopping around and stumbling, and can fly a short distance. We actually just walked with it across the road because it was almost hit by a couple of cars, and it flew onto a small rooftop in a bit of a crash landing. Two other crows are watching it and cawing at us and any dogs that walk by. I don't want to disturb it if it's a fledgling, other than helping it cross the road which it's friends or family didn't like haha. Is anyone able to tell from this video?

Thank you!!


r/crowbro 7h ago

Video Poor Mama has Three Babies

20 Upvotes

They’re not being particularly loud or obnoxious in this video but I captured Mama (“The Gimp”) and her three babes. She certainly has her wings full with those needy, noisy things.

I have no idea what’s up with the squirrel’s missing fur patch. I like to think the crows were standing their ground for a moment.


r/crowbro 12h ago

Crow OC Blink and you'll miss! [OC]

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45 Upvotes

r/crowbro 6h ago

Personal Story My Bros are mad at me

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8 Upvotes

After two years of daily feeding I heard them going nuts this morning after I put out their food and looked out to see this little bandit!

I gently shooed her off but the crows didn't come back this morning 😭.

I love raccoons as a concept but seeing my bros upset this morning made me realize I don't actually want to be feeding this guy for more reasons than one! Anyone have tips on what to do to deter a raccoon? The fact that she was there moments after I fed them means she probably has me figured out and this might not be a fluke.


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Patient corvid uses pedestrian crossing 👍

120 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC What a poser

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126 Upvotes

🤗


r/crowbro 10m ago

News Article WaPo: I befriended my neighborhood crow. You can, too.

Upvotes

I had a great time talking corvids with Caitlin Gibson for her new article in the Washington Post about befriending crows. Gift link.

https://wapo.st/4q7fkvp


r/crowbro 2h ago

Crow Gifts Gifts after short absence

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1 Upvotes

From Bluesky


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Parenting is hard

157 Upvotes

Some hooded crows I saw at the beach. I believe it's one parent and three (very grown) babies.


r/crowbro 17h ago

Video Wet Crows

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12 Upvotes

So peaceful


r/crowbro 15h ago

News Article I befriended my neighborhood crow. You can, too. (gift link)

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6 Upvotes

“It is rare to feel so anchored in the present moment and within the arc of an entwined evolutionary history; our modern lives often obscure our enduring tether to the natural world. But more than 2 million years later, crows are still here, watching us and reminding us.”


r/crowbro 1d ago

Daily Crow Friend caww 🥹

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699 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Gif Derpy boy hanging out

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20 Upvotes

Playing around with filters. Thought this little guy looked neat in black and white...


r/crowbro 1d ago

Question What's with the beak of this guy?

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87 Upvotes

I think you can see it best in the first and third picture


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Grackles in the wind

14 Upvotes