For the holiday, a thread on how to befriend crows.
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Befriending crows is a wonderful thing.
I have many crow friends at home and at work. They bring joy at unexpected moments and can rescue a miserable day even without shaking down the dust of snow that Robert Frost described.
This thread is an updated version of one I posted at the bird site in July 2019.
#birding #birdwatching #birds #urbanbirding #crows #corvids #crow #corvid #crowfriends
If you live in an urban or suburban area where crows are around it's not too hard to befriend them. Rural crows are harder but not impossible.
First and foremost they like food. Peanuts in the shell are a favorite treat but most anything works; crows are omnivorous. It's probably not good for them, but they adore cheetos.
Photo: not a good shot but the only one I have of my beloved Tatterwing demonstrating next-level peanut technique: five at a time by spearing. No other crow figured this out.
If you feed them regularly, they will come to recognize you. They're remarkably good at recognizing faces, gaits, and even the sound of a particular car's engine.
In the rain wearing a new jacket with the hood up? They recognize me.
After a year away from the office due to COVID policies, I thought my office friends would have forgotten me. No. They spotted me within a few yards of the parking garage.
Try to be consistent. Make sure you have food for them each time you see them. Crows are so smart that this isn't essential. But it's a general principle in animal training which is, in a sense, what you are doing. Though as you'll discover, it's more like them training you.
Personally, I like to talk to them. I have no idea whether this helps or not. But I treat each one with dignity, greet them when I see them, explain what I'm doing as I'm getting out a treat, ask them how their days have been, that sort of thing.
@ct_bergstrom I talk to the birds, too. I've also learned that they fly away faster if I'm looking directly at them, so I have to talk to them while facing away from them. My neighbors probably think I'm insane. :)
@hedwyg @ct_bergstrom You look like a predator because you have two eyes together facing forward. I know you’re okay because I’ve always lived with humans, but I’m sure you make the birds outside nervous just because of your eyes. Hopefully they will learn not to be afraid of you. You sound like a very considerate human.
@SomangTheTiel @hedwyg @ct_bergstrom
Do you know whether birds react differently to people wearing an eyepatch?
@robryk @hedwyg @ct_bergstrom I’ve never seen an eyepatch, but I would imagine I would still be able to identify where the eye should be. After all, there still wouldn’t be even one eye on the side of the head (where eyes belong).