Urban Corvids

My favorite birds are corvids. The family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. In Britain we also had rooks with their thick white ceres, jackdaws as well as ravens and magpies. There are no rooks or jackdaws in North Idaho but ravens chortle in the woods and crows abound here in town.

The crows in town I took to feeding a couple of summers ago. They would hunt for bugs in the lawn and I would supplement this for them with some scraps. I was rewarded for a few months with small toys left on my patio.

Lately I feed scraps in the crook of a maple tree next to my house. I figure this means the dogs at least don’t steal the scraps.

I am curious how they find out about them. Sometimes there is a crow at the top of a tall douglas fir of my neighbor’s. From there the crow can see the scraps and there is a loud series of calls that alert others. The crow that finds something cannot keep it to itself. Indeed the feeding doesn’t seem to start until others have arrived. Then they will swoop in and snatch little bits of food.

Despite being urban birds they are remarkably shy. Getting pictures of the action is difficult and they wait until I go inside before feeding. It may be the camera and long lens that spooks them.

Here are a few images I captured as they worked up the courage to approach the food.