Recently, I found 2 dead crows near each other. I was surprised to find this.
Is this unusual?
-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Orkin <wingmagi...@gmail.com>
To: Sue Rakow <sue.ra...@gmail.com>
Cc: Anne Clark <anneb.cl...@gmail.com>; cayugabirds <Cayugabirds-L@cornell.edu>
Sent: Tue, Mar 4, 2014 11:02 am
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Crows on South Hill
Sue, thanks for enjoying the list and for being so eager to learn. All of us
who admire, respect and enjoy crows are trying to retire the collective noun of
"murder" as it can either imply that crows are evil or that they should be
murdered. Another term could be Congress of crows (which in this day and age
can also be pejorative) or can also be a Muster. Which would seem appropriate
especially at this time of year as they gather or when they all raucously mob a
Great-horned Owl. I like Muster, the definition is apropos.
Keep watching!!!
Linda Orkin
Ithaca, NY
On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 10:52 AM, Sue Rakow <sue.ra...@gmail.com> wrote:
This is very helpful information! Thank you so much for the complete picture.
I am learning so much from being on this list serve. I am very grateful!
Sue Rakow
On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 8:26 AM, Anne Clark <anneb.cl...@gmail.com> wrote:
These groups are "winter roosts", and they are nothing new in crow life.
Despite what urban residents sometimes think, crows didn't start gathering when
we set out cities for them to use. Roosting in groups at any time of year may
offer safety in numbers from night predators, such as Great Horned Owls.
In winter, birds living in northern areas that usually have constant snow cover
for months do migrate south--Canada, areas of New England. Crows don't
necessarily have a particular area they migrate TO. They may go as far as an
area that is usually ok for foraging, perhaps one that they are familiar with
from previous migrations. There they form flocks that are made up of migrants
as well as wide-foraging locals. If it gets unusually snowy and cold, they may
move further south. (We really don't know much of the repeat migratory routes
of individual crows. We do know that birds tagged in Ithaca in winter are then
seen on territories in Canada, VT, New Hampshire in summer, and that some birds
RAISED in Ithaca have been observed or shot in winter, in such places as
Maryland, West VA, and Pennsylvania, as well as in Cortland, Auburn, Geneva)
In the winter flocks, birds are foraging in open fields and off familiar areas.
During foraging, flocks offer some safety in numbers to detect predators in
day (hawks, hunters, whatever). At night the flocks "flock up" still more in
places that offer "good roosting sites", which probably includes wind breaks,
places from which owls can be detected at night. So they are probably gathering
both for safety in numbers and also because they all agree on what makes a good
site. Cities may offer fewer predators, but also the lights may allow them to
see the predators. Finally roosting in flocks that include birds that have
sampled food sources widely may allow birds to find new food sources, perhaps
by following the most assured and directed birds leaving the roost.
So--Upstate NY has its own crows and is ideally positioned for northern
crows--so flocks become big. They like the agricultural fields interspersed
with trees and lots of running water sources (which may be important in cold
winters)...and we also offer lots of smaller cities, with large groups of lit
trees in their downtowns or college campuses. These seem to be attractive.
Mid-late March is the start of the breeding season and flocking crows will be
returning to their breeding latitudes. Our Ithaca pairs are already calling on
territory during daytimes.
As I say, some of this story is surmised from the patterns, not pinned down
with hard data on individuals! We know what our tagged birds do, when we can
follow them. But we would love to have gps data coming in from our birds, such
as the snowy owls and golden eagles give their researchers. Bring on the Tiny
Tags!
Anne
On Mar 4, 2014, at 7:19 AM, Sue Rakow wrote:
I observed the murder of crows on Sunday evening. It was stunning. I would like
to know more about why they gather in such large groups. Are they on the move
or are they local? Can anyone help me understand?
Thanks.
Sue Rakow
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