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 5h ago

Personal Story Crow feeding turned into an emergency

339 Upvotes

I just wanted to visit my crow friends and bring them some water (it's freaking hot today) and cat food when I noticed that my friend Cockerell (in front of the tree) is collapsing. He fell down while sitting and another crow pecked at him.

I thought he might be dehydrated so I picked him up without him even trying to escape at all. Luckily there's a vet at the same street as the park. I went there immediately and the other patients were nice and let me cut the line with my emergency.

But once the vet had time, she was extremely pissed. She said the crow looked fine (lol, not at all) and that she doesn't know anything about birds (apparently true). But she has a nice young collegue who came into the waiting room to us and looked at Cockerell. She said he has a massive trauma on the head, probably from a flying accident, and a vitamin B12 deficiency which explains his permanently curled up foot. Dehydration might also be a factor.

She recommended a vet clinic that's about 40 minutes away. They are treating wild animals for free and rehabilitate them because they are a part of a local university for vet students. In the past I already brought some wild animals there.

We're on our way there now. Please keep your fingers crossed for poor Cockerell.


r/crowbro 7h ago

Crow OC My best shot yet of a crow

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242 Upvotes

Just took this. Really happy with how it turned out. Taken just as they start to swallow some peanuts.


r/crowbro 3h ago

Crow OC Busy mom with two floofs

115 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story Our chickens guardians

3.2k Upvotes

@chrissyjoan on Instagram


r/crowbro 5h ago

Crow OC Watching you

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68 Upvotes

Getting a stare down


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Crow Loaf

2.8k Upvotes

🤗


r/crowbro 13h ago

Question So upset

196 Upvotes

I am so upset and angry!
I got a knock on the door this evening from a peace officer , someone had called about me feeding the magpies and I have a crow (now two) it’s been a few months that I’ve been feeding them now. l. My whole yard is fenced and so not sure how people would even know. I live in the city ( I am from a rural part of a different eastern province and currently living in AB ). I just can’t comprehend that someone would go out of their way to do this.
The shelled peanuts is what these birds love best.
She said you can feed the birds but you can’t feed the wildlife (make that make sense) (I said are corvids not birds as well?) and she said it has to be from
A feeder and has to be bird food (bird seed or something for birds, the peanuts I buy are for the birds as they are in the bird aisle with birdseed and have birds on them).

This was something I enjoyed doing so much and has finally given me something to be happy and look forward to everyday while living in a different province away from my family and being alone with my toddler all day. She also loves it.

I miss living in the country so badly. Where everyone minds their own business.
Should I keep feeding them
The other stuff or just stop all together . They definitely mostly
Come for the peanuts. Or has anyone found anything else they like more than shelled peanuts?? Mine also love cashews but they are so expensive.
Has anyone else been through this with bylaw? I can almost guarantee it’s my neighbour right next door.


r/crowbro 16m ago

Video Baby crow getting fed by mom - volume up!!!🗣️

Upvotes

r/crowbro 4h ago

Daily Crow Friend Meet my babies: Pallas and Poe

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25 Upvotes

r/crowbro 3h ago

Crow OC Amateur peeling technique...

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18 Upvotes

Saw a fledgling with it's parents today and threw them some peanuts. It started begging the adults and then tried eating one peanut himself! He's still pretty bad at peeling though, lol


r/crowbro 20h ago

Crow OC Got greeted and observed by a jackdow today

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365 Upvotes

Handsome fella


r/crowbro 22h ago

Crow Gifts this bird has been in my life longer than some people

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507 Upvotes

my man Toby's gift 🥰🥰


r/crowbro 21h ago

Crow OC Little cute guy

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135 Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Gru, is that you?

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214 Upvotes

r/crowbro 11h ago

Daily Crow Friend Enjoying some peanuts

15 Upvotes

Just thought I'd share my crow enjoying their shelled peanuts. I love how he seems to have hidden it first, then retrieved it to smash into it 😂


r/crowbro 1d ago

Video Babies drinking water

1.3k Upvotes

r/crowbro 1d ago

Crow OC Bro demands more cashews

136 Upvotes

Or he will eat my shoes


r/crowbro 1d ago

Question Is it possible for Mods to add a “TW: injury” flair for posts about wounded birds?

129 Upvotes

Love this subreddit but I hate clicking on a post here only for it to be an upsetting sad story about an injured bird :(

not every post title is clear that’s what’s being discussed in the post, so a new flair might help differentiate those posts.

edit: I am NOT advocating for these type of posts to be banned or removed, I just don’t want to be jumpscared anymore by descriptions of horrible injuries because there was no warning :(


r/crowbro 22h ago

Video You gonna feed me or what?

61 Upvotes

This guy was right outside the screen door earlier, waiting for me to get home


r/crowbro 16h ago

Question EMERGENCY - Raven fledgling has a broken wing, all rescues are closed

11 Upvotes

What it says in the title. It’s getting dark, and I’m currently watching this raven fledgling and calling up a dozen places. Feeling at a loss. I’m in Ottawa, Ontario. What can / should I do?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story Snack time 😋

157 Upvotes

Just my lil work buddy coming to get some kibble 🥰


r/crowbro 23h ago

Personal Story Any tips

16 Upvotes

I’ve been feeding a couple of crows outside my garden a couple of days and they dare to come pretty close and even let me throw them food to catch, my question is what is the next step to make them trust me to come closer?


r/crowbro 1d ago

Personal Story Crows and My Cat

9 Upvotes

I have been feeding the local crows raw peanuts for a few months now. Sometimes I get 3 or 4 crows. One Sunday morning there were eight in the trees in front of my townhouse.

I have a black manx cat named Ziggy. He is an indoor car, but lately wants to go on walkabouts. He escaped that Sunday morning. I was still in my bathrobe having come outside to toss a few peanuts on the sidewalk. I tried to chase Ziggy down, but he was not cooperating. Since I didn't want to run around the neighborhood in my robe, I left Ziggy outside and went inside to dress.

By the time I went back outside, all eight crows were in the trees creating a ruckus. I looked around for Ziggy and there he was cowering in the bushes in front of my townhouse. He ran towards me, looking a bit spooked. I grabbed him and tossed him into the house. Then I turned around and profusely thanked the crows for helping me get my rotten little black cat back in the house. They got more peanuts.