I guess it's an element of local Crow culture, maybe even limited to particular families who have toad ponds within their territories and pass the trick down the generations.
-Geo Kloppel On May 6, 2015, at 1:31 PM, Melanie Uhlir <mela...@mwmu.com> wrote: > Very interesting. But I'm sad about the toad slaughter. I'm glad I've never > noticed this in person! > > I guess the toad populations are able to survive this seasonal devastation. > Great White Sharks take advantage of seal breeding season in the same way. I > think the sharks eat the whole seal though. Crows are gourmands. Or maybe > there's a specific nutritional benefit to eating the toads' livers. > > On 5/5/2015 8:27 PM, Geo Kloppel wrote: >> I did a little reading on the subject, and it seems that Crows, being very >> intelligent, sometimes develop local traditions in which they annually take >> advantage of these pool parties to feast on toad livers. >> >> This has been happening for years at my pond! >> >> -Geo Kloppel >> -- >> >> 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/ >> >> -- > -- 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/ --
