A family of corvids built their nest right by my door. I’ve enjoyed seeing their nest grow, and I think the babies are now full fledglings.
Up until now, we’ve each been going out separate ways. Aside from leaving them some sticks to use, I haven’t interacted with them directly.
Today I either closed the door too hard, or they got spooked by the garbage truck passing by. A crow dive bombed me twice, hitting me the first time and whooshing by me the second time. It didn’t hurt, but I’m offended that they don’t remember me.
I know crows can hold a vendetta and remember faces. Any tips on how to get back in their good graces?
edit: I looked into giving them food, but it’s against the bylaws in my city
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bird-feeding-vancouver-bylaw
A Vancouver resident who admittedly loves feeding the crows in his neighbourhood is now facing a major fine.
According to Reddit user DubUbasswitmyheadman, they’ve been feeding birds while walking their dog.
However, they claim that feeding the wildlife irritated enough people to prompt one neighbour to contact their landlord to collect their email and phone number.
DubUbasswitmyheadman now claims they are facing a $4,000 fine for feeding wildlife.
I don’t have a solution but I wanna bump this question, I am invested now.
How could ya not be
This is going to sound witchy, but have first hand experience it works lol.
Get a stone bowl, with a crow effigy on top in center. Ideally put it near the nest too.
Fill it with a few berries and chopped cashews, along with shiny pennies, a colorful feather, and 2 small crystals (the cheap tumbled kind like tiger’s eye, crackle quartz, and goldstone).
Below it have a sparkly shallow dish filled with water, and under it a narrowish glass filled with water (one is for bathing and the other for drinking).
Everyday, at the exact same time, refill the bowl with food and a single new crystal, colorful feather, or shiny penny, but do so while holding the offering above your head. Then refill the waters if needed.
You’ll be extremely close friends real fast.
Get a stone bowl, with a crow effigy on top in center.
I would be willing to bet that it works just fine without the crow effigy
It’s to help repel the other birds that aren’t crows a bit more, while the crows quickly figure out it’s not alive and a symbol for them.
Or so I’m told. Maybe I should start a Kickstarter to help fund a double blind experiment and see what crows prefer:
Effigy, No effigy, Effigy of a different bird
And then set up many of these little crow shrines around and see how they do
I know crows are can be smart, but aside from an exceptional one here and there, I sincerely doubt a bird is going to see an effigy of a bird, and recognize it as a picture of them.
But maybe a bird scientist will come in and prove me wrong, who knows
I’m no bird scientist either, but I do know Crows pass the mirror test, so it makes sense to me they could probably recognize other Crows
I’m certain they can recognize other crows. As in living birds.
Instructions unclear, angry murder
Give them a few unsalted peanuts. Don’t tell anybody
this is like crack to those birds. you don’t need to feed them daily or even that regularly for them to associate you
if this will make them less protective of their nest you’ll find out. please report back in one of the corvids communities.
it’s always good to have crow friends
If you go outside with a sandwich and accidentally drop that sandwich, then loundly proclaim your disappointment in your clumsiness, then go back inside, and the crows come down for the remains of your sandwich … and if this becomes a reguar occurrence … you can’t be fined for being clumsy. Can you?
Crows will eat cat or dog food (my local crows love the cat food we feed them!). If there aren’t laws against feeding stray cats, you could put a bowl on your porch with cat food and if you’re questioned, play innocent.
As an aside, if you want to identify the fledglings, look at their mouth. Baby crows have red/pink mouths while the adults have black mouths!
As an aside, if you want to identify the fledglings, look at their mouth. Baby crows have red/pink mouths while the adults have black mouths!
The one(s) in the nest have orange around their beaks, so that must be the fledglings. The one(s) that attacked me do indeed have black beaks!
I mean, ya gotta make amends. Give healthy food on a schedule so they know you’re committed. Perhaps leave a kindly note with a shiny bead.
Mealworms, for chickens, get a 10lb bag if you can, few other animals will go for them and crows love them. Unsalted peanuts in the shell because they like to break them open, but other animals will go after them too.
You might not be allowed to feed them directly, but I bet you can eat a messy sandwich or souvlaki that drops a bunch of meat and cheese.
But now you might just be feeding them without them seeing it as a friendly action and get no benefits.
They’ll know. Do it a few times. Whistle, click or clap a bit before hand so they’re paying attention. It’s more about having an excuse to claim you weren’t feeding them if someone complains. “What !? I like eating my souvlaki in the park, it’s a messy meal.”
Fuck the bylaws!
Oops, you left your PBJ on the porch!
You don’t. Crows are the evil masterminds of the bird world, as any expert in bird law will tell you.
Do you happen to enjoy boiling denim, foraging naked in the sewers, and playing nightcrawlers?
Huh I had no idea we’re not allowed to feed crows.
I got dive bombed years ago one summer, after which I started bribing the crows with peanuts from my balcony. I started by just putting them on my railing, backing away and letting them see me as they grabbed them. Now they’re used to me and let me get pretty close, or come hang out when I’m out there.
They’ve got babies out front of my building this week and show no interest in me or my dog, but I see them bombing other people regularly.
Buy them french fries daily. Get the ones in the red carton, you know the ones. The red carton will help build visual memory. Every day, toss them some french fries. Make sure they see you.
