Crows

[klecker]

Been working at home the lasr few days and have a pair of crows making a nest in a spruce tree. All day back and forth these two go. So last night I put some items in the yard. One old sock with holes, pieces of an old tee shirt I cut up for rags, a wad of yarn that I chopped up some more. They picked it all up this a.m. If you go outside they just sit in the oak tree next to the spruce. One will bring in and drop material while the other constructs the new home. The other will wait for the builder then they fly off together. The nest is pretty good sized. Provides some good entertainment.

[JayinMN]

Crows are definitely known as collectors of odd stuff. They like shiny things too so don't be surprised if stuff starts disappearing. Often times things such as silver ware and lost keys can be found in crows nests. They sure are entertaining.

[klecker]

The nest is pretty good sized. Hope an owl moves in next year.I just hope that a month after the little ones are born I dont have a crow circus every morning at sunrise

I should put some things out like a bunch ofkeys and attach it to some fishing line. might give some good laughs! Might even throw out the owl decoy for laughs.

[trolloni]

The best entertament ive got from them is dupin them with a owl decoy and caller and then smashin em with my 12 gauge! Watch what they do to other birds nests and fledglings and you wont be thinkin entertament!

[klecker]

I am in towm so there isnt much I can do. Plus there nest in the direct line of fire with a lot of city brhind it.

[Hwood]

Had a real problem with those guys a few years ago. Pecking on basment windows at 5 am, hanging on bedroom screens at....5am raiding the feeder at.....you get the idea. They thought my truck was a play house. I tried several things but finally the pellet gun came out and that was still a chore. They have watch dogs and as soon as they saw movement in the window, and I say window cuz there is no way I could even think about getting a shot off outside, had to shoot through the screens. Teach the aggressive one and you teach them all. They have not landed close to the house since, and they nest next door.

[half-dutch]

Crows are sort of pack birds like wolves are pack mammals.

Last years young will frequently return to help raise this year's brood. A nesting pair will come back to the same area in succeeding years, too, and bring last years youngsters along to help. You won't be rid of them as easily as just waiting for the young to fledge out, and the commotion will just get worse as this year's young approach fledging. It is not very likely you will have many smaller birds around as the crows are raising the current years hatchlings either.

They are also protected as migratory song birds, IIRC.

The last few decades have seen a huge increase in the crow population here in Minneapolis, year around, too. It is not uncommon to stand in one place as they return to nighttime roosts in the winter and watch them pass for the better part of an hour at least, numbering who knows how many thousands total. Come spring they disperse some but never totally.

They are very interesting birds for all of that, very intelligent, very social, as well as very aggressive, and very omnivorous. They very often scavenge parking lots and compete with the gulls for discards. The gulls are each out for themselves, but the crows are always teamed up; so if there is any competition at all the gulls are out. You will almost never ever have just a single crow.