Crows

Another bird from our bird survey

Yesterday there was a crow on the fat-ball feeder in my garden! We often get magpies and occasionally jackdaws but this crow was clearly desperate for something to eat.

Crow (rspb)

 

The crow or 'corvid' family includes Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies and Ravens.  The Crow is the most frequent visitor to Filnore Woods out of these, as you can see on the bird survey results posted on 26/11/2012.  But all six species have been recorded there.

Rooks 'caw' conversationally but crows shout their harsh 'Caaar, caaar, caar' three or four times together.  If you see a crow perched somewhere when calling, he or she makes a bow with each 'Caaar'.  Their larger, more solitary cousin the raven makes a thoughtful and deeper 'Cronk' as it flies past.

Crow calling

 

Crows are all black and rather tidier than the less sinister but more disreputable looking rooks who have dirty white faces and shaggy trousers.

Rook (rspb)

 

Crows are very intelligent birds as are all the corvids and can be taught to do things. That is why they feature in so many films such as Hitchcock's "The Birds".  If you have ten minutes to spare there's an interesting TEDtalk on YouTube called 'The amazing intelligence of crows'.

 

The full name is Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) because they will feed on dead animals or carrion and help to tidy up the place.  We need such carrion feeeders - nature's dustmen or garbage collectors.  (I get more American readers of this blog than British, strangely.)  I often see crows pecking at roadkill.  They are omnivores though and will scoff down whatever they can find - insects, baby birds, seeds, berries, worms and even newborn lambs.  They are successful as a species because they are so opportunistic - like dandelions!