I agree, Linda. Muster seems quite appropriate. Thanks.
On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 1:11 PM, <jensdre...@aol.com> wrote: > 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 >>> -- >>> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> *Archives:* >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>> *Please submit your observations to eBird!* >>> -- >>> >>> >>> >> -- >> *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> *Archives:* >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> *Please submit your observations to eBird!* >> -- >> > > > > -- > Don't ask what your bird club can do for you, ask what you can do for > your bird club!! <')_,/ > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > *Please submit your observations to eBird!* > -- > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
