MUSTER .
Would that be only used among us locals?
Jae
On Mar 4, 2014, at 11:02 AM, Linda Orkin wingmagi...@gmail.com wrote:
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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