“Caw! Caw! Caw!” What is that crow saying?
There are two basic styles of “cawing” that crows do and when you learn to identify the differences it greatly simplifies crow language for bird language enthusiasts.
Keep reading to discover the basic distinction that enables you to discern alarmed behavior from other types of behavior in crows.
Or you can watch this video…
Crow Language: How Does It Work?
The American Crow and similar species are one of the never-ending mysteries for people who study bird language (what is bird language?)
Their vocal repertoire is so complex that it can be challenging to make sense of the sometimes confusing behavior of crows.
Yet as complex and varied as it may be, crows have the potential to bring some of the most important information that you could glean from listening to bird language.
They’re almost always around anywhere there are people and their voices travel so far that if you learn to recognize the alarm behavior of a crow then you’ll be able to greatly extend the distance at which you can detect things like hawks, eagles, and other aerial predators.
The best thing if you want to understand crow language is not to try and understand every complex nuance, but to instead look for the largest level distinctions that can help us sort all the various calls into simple categories.
Two Basic Types Of Caws
Crow language can at the most simple level be broken down into two major categories that you’ll hear when you’re out in the field.
I would hazard a guess that not knowing how to listen for these two categories accounts for most of the confusion that beginning bird language people have around understanding crows.
This is because a huge number of the crow calls that you’ll hear outside are non-contextual… meaning that they really can’t practically be linked to anything specific like a predator because their primary function is simply to communicate with other members of their flock at a distance like a companion call.
A lot of people when they hear these calls will try to figure out if it means something specific when what it really tells us is that there’s nothing specific happening in the landscape at the moment.
The other basic type of call is noticeably different and is always linked to a specific event such as a predator.
Usually once you identify that you are indeed hearing some sort of bird language event in the crow vocalizations it’s only a matter of looking closer to figure out the source.
Companion Calls (Non-Contextual Vocalizations)
Companion calls are extremely common in crows but they work very differently than other passerines like juncos, sparrows or chickadees.
What you’ll hear is the crow will usually be up in a tree looking into the distance and it’ll give off a short burst of 1-9 or so “caws”.
The caws will all be similar in sound and then you’ll hear a pause where presumably the crow is listening for a response.
After a few seconds or maybe longer it’ll give off another burst of similar caws followed by another period of silence.
This burst & silence pattern can go on for quite a number of repetitions before the crow quiets down or flies away.
The key thing to notice with this pattern of calling is that you won’t be able to link the calls to any sort of specific context like a predator.
Click play to hear an example of this type of calling:
Context Calls
The other broad category of calls can be linked to specific events taking place in the landscape.
In academic research these are sometimes referred to as unstructured calls because they don’t follow that very structured pattern of regular bursts & silence as with the companion calls.
Instead, these “unstructured vocalizations” can be made with the exact same caw sounds as the companion calls but they are much more variable in terms of sound.
They fluctuate in volume, pitch, frequency and overall intensity, as the event gets more intense.
Continuous “cawing” from multiple individuals can go on without stopping for a very long time as the crows mob the source of their excitement.
If you hear these sounds coming from a group of crows, you might see other crows flying towards them at rapid speed to rally and mob an eagle or an owl.
You might also hear a sudden burst of intensity pick up as a coopers hawk flies to a new perch.
In this way you can actually hear the movement of things like coopers hawks at the front of their disturbance by the sudden bursts given off by groups of crows.
It’s important to note that this pattern of calling isn’t always alarm.
Sometimes crows will simply be fighting over food or attempting to steal a fish from an osprey.
Sometimes they’ll be defending their territories from other crows or ravens; but once you’ve detected this sort of activity happening and you know it’s not just a simple companion call, then it’s just a matter of getting close enough to the source in order to figure out what all the commotion is about.
The following audio recording contains good examples of a low intensity alarm situation throughout, mostly in the background but also at 13mins there’s a short clip that comes through more in the foreground.
And this recording contains an example on the more extreme end of the alarm spectrum such as when crows are rallying to mob an owl:
Applying This Knowledge
These two simple styles of crow calling are so easy to distinguish that I’m sure as soon as you put in a bit of practice listening you’ll be able to tell the difference.
You certainly don’t need to have any special hearing capabilities to detect and understand these broad levels of crow language.
Having this awareness in your back pocket will enable you to hear crow calls and know with reasonable certainty that yes there is something happening on the landscape or no, the crows are simply doing their normal everyday behaviors of feeding and moving about their territories.
My wild pet crow is now almost 4 yrs old . He used to eat food I gave him on the deck as I read the Cornell university ‘s book so I would learn what they can eat and what is not good to feed them . He now has a mate and two 9 -10 mo old babies . His name for me is doot do do doot ! How about that . They name their humans who care for them . He is very large and eats meat daily along with veggies and fruit , peanuts and peanut butter cookies for dessert . I’m fortunate to have taught him to count . I whistle 5 Times means food . He caws 5 Times means food . Plus other things like CPI ting to 10 forward backwater in perfect sequence in caws . Peanuts my fingers my whistles all taught him . We are best friends !!! I’m very fortunate !!
Hi Barbara, thanks for sharing! It’s always nice to hear about people befriending crows. Great way to connect with nature 🙂
Thanks for the clarification. I always wonder about the other sound the crows make, not a caw, but a type of clicking or knocking sound. Any ideas what those sounds mean?
Hi Stacey, clicking/rattling calls are often used in courtship situations. Definitely keep track of the time of year when you hear those sounds. That will help to sort out the meaning. You might notice it’s more common in late winter/spring.
Hi Brian,
Your response to Stacey is of great interest to me. I have had a funny relationship with a particular crow for the past few years. I can’t call it “my crow,” as the relationship is better described as “crow’s human!” Crow seems to have the upper-hand and now has what I think, is a name or call for me. The sound is a short deep click/rattle ending in a soft “cuck” accent. I work at a small elementary school, about 6 blocks from my home, my classroom is in a portable classroom. Crow has shown up there and perching in various spots, making the same call sound. So this crow stocks me, too. Sometimes, Crow alights on my neighbor’s roof and attempts to spy on me through a row of small windows in my house, facing it. In spring, I put in a new strawberry bed and devoted much attention to it. For several days, I kept finding my new strawberry plants unearthed and tossed out of the beds. I caught Crow in the act! This is when I began serving cooked ground turkey, which now seems to be enough distraction to leave my strawberries alone. Do you think Crow has given me a name? Also, are there any characteristics that are visible between male and female?
We have 7 acres of woods behind our house. Last February I noticed two crows building a nest high up in a tree. My daughter & I began observing & photographing. About 10 days ago we watched the fledgling leave the nest. We hear them talking and spot one them throughout each day. My daughter and I have become so in tuned to caws and I think it’s time we learn the language.
Thanks for sharing, Autumn! Learning Crow language is great fun 🙂
I just noticed a very big crow, (he must be the leader of the pack), who was cawing very loudly, and flying back and fourth over houses and back to the phone lines. It was obvious that he in distress and trying to get a msg out.
I pay attention to bird calls, and I thought maybe he was warning of bad weather approaching. They are beautiful birds. Thanks for the informative video.
I recently visited Yosemite National Park New Years Eve weekend. The first waterfall stop at Bridalvale Falls I felt strange, like some sort of negative energy. Our next stop, was through the forest, this is when 2 crows started flying above me, followed me a few ways down..I turned and looked up and one started cawing, not like anything I’ve ever seen, my son even witnessed and said it almost sounds like he’s trying to say something. This bird had my attention definitely. He followed me through, than I didn’t see him. After that, I felt something happened around that area, I could see things not present, and I know I’m not coocoo. Even in my pictures I could see. My friend witnessed Strange sounds and visions also. We kept this to ourselves until we got back home. I’m curious what that bird was saying. Did not sound like your audios posted.
I am a black bird/ Crow whisper, I seem to have a secret conectiom with them and would love to learn more about these beautiful birds,please help me help them
Sue Jacklin
jacklin_5@msn.com
MY Daughter thinks I am crazy, I am not I can communicate with them and they seem to gravite to me.
I feel like I am a black bird/Crow whisper.
Please contact me I would love to be part of your study in these amazing birds that I admire and respect.
jacklin_5@msn.com
Sue Jacklin
604-349-7170
Please let me whisper to these highly intelligent and beautiful birds.
I have a connection with them I can talk to them and they understand and respect me
Meet me and you will see!
Thank you for your time.
I have the same connection with a male and female crows on my patio. I sit out on my patio an they both fly to me its bin 2 yrs now i love them. I feed them daily
Hi. We have one crow residing in the huge neighborhood trees right by the house. When I go outside it usually with crow a few times, I’ll respond, and so on. This morning however it it crowing a lot and loudly and for long times. Can you tell me what might be going on? The next door neighbors are setting up for a birthday party and they cause a multitude of problems and that’s an understatement. I’m wondering if that’s related?
Hi Debbie, can you identify whether the crowing is structured or unstructured like I explained in the article? Is it just one crow or multiple crows?
The way you explain it sounds more like a unstructured vocalization. Could be a few different reasons. If there’s lots of food at the party you might see crows fighting over food. It could be a predator like an owl or eagle, or it could be territorial if there are rival crows nearby.
Keep watching and you’ll find the answer!
Thank you Brian,
You have a wonderful website and I love the information on the Crows. I started feeding a couple of them a few winters ago at school, (3 grade teacher) and now I serve breakfast each morning for 180. The kids love to count and graph them and give them names. They follow me from home to school each morning, until they start breaking up into mating pairs, and follow me when I wander into the woods. Thank you for sharing you knowledge! I can’t wait to share it with the kids.
I’m just wondering if you’ve heard a crow (and seen) dip his/her head down and make a clicking noise followed by something that sounds like a dove coo. I have a crow I feed on a regular basis. When I whistle he comes to the tree nearest to the path I place the food on. I can tell it’s a him/her because this noise is almost done at me. Like a greeting? I can replicate the noise back to it and it will mirror the response.
I have established a “friendship” with a family of crows. They will make a sound similar to “hello” if I say hello. I call them by saying “crows!”, and that is when they get bits of meat, fat, egg, etc. I usually only get 4-6 at a time, and usually certain times of year, a baby or two that require mouth feeding by another. In the winter, I amp up the fat content of their food, and only sparingly give them bread. I have had this relationship for about 20 years. I rarely miss a day. They also feed on what is on/in the ground, be it worms or grubs, and rob a few robin nests. These birds hold a special place in my heart. When I die, I hope someone takes over, but if not, they will be fine. They are smart.
In addition, on occasion if I missed a day or so (I was sick for 2-3 days), one or so have come up and pull out my hens and chicks plants, or open a bag of some non food, and also will pull apples off the tree and let them fall (attention getter). This only happens if I am sick in bed or gone for a day and night. They never come right up to me, but will come down to eat what I toss with me out there. In the summer I provide water and change it every morning. They like that.
Now I understand why my crow unearthed all of my new strawberry plants that I devoted so much time too! Ha! It stopped when I began serving cooked ground turkey!
I have a crow making the same vocalisations at me…wondering the same thing!
Brian, Your respect for crows is admirable. I too, have always connected with crows. I feed a pair of them at my place of work, and since I don’t work a routine schedule they took it upon themselves to follow me home only 1 mile. In the morning when I leave my house one calls to let the other know I’m getting in my car at my first turn the second crow is perched on a tree or pole and the one who called flies side to side above and just ahead of me while the other flies the shortest distance towards my office, when I arrive and exit my car they perch in the tree directly across the road and wait as I take my things in and come out with their food. They are getting more trusting and eat while I’m near and sometimes show off flying a few feet over my head looping around me. Seagulls have caught on the feedings and arrive in a flock I am protective and will stand post for the crows to ward the gulls off…I have even picked the food up and returned later when the gulls are gone and the minute I’m seen one arrives and calls their partner to stand watch. If I arrive late or am super busy they find me wherever I am and continuously fly by which ever window I’m near to prompt me to do as they’ve trained me. I Love these Amazing creatures.
Wow so cool thanks for sharing your encounter.
My pet Muhair (wild bird friend for about 4 years), now see me not as predtor. Today, my call to the mated couple were calling to themself and me I use flickering of my touch to let them who I’m. They beginning to talk to me everyday and today I heard a millia second of a pause between the third caw and the forth caw. This went on for three section. No Red Tail Hawks, were about.
More information to share on my murder of crows. They love meat, cheese (not cottage cheese), eggs ( whole/raw and in shell and cooked any way), turkey carcass, chicken carcass/bones with meat attached, banana bread, oatmeal raisin cookies, cooked pasta, nuts, cornbread, corn on the cob, and french toast.
They will not eat cooked cabbage, carrots, celery, banana, orange, pineapple, any cold cereal, or the inside of a fruit pie. They gang up to protect their nests? when a hawk starts soaring above, They “play” with young bunnies (but think it is way to confuse them and then rob the nests). They do not sleep in my trees that I am aware, they fly slightly south of my home and must have a larger family tree close by.
I befriended a juvenile crow three years ago. He is smaller than other crows, white on wings. He sits outside my office window and calls ” Bug Up”. What does that call mean. I feed him. Will come close when I’m outside.
Hi Kristin, can you provide a bit more detail about the call? Are you saying it sounds like the crow is saying “Bug up”?
Often the meaning of a crow call is not in the actual sound, but in the context and associated behavioral cues. How often does he make this sound? Does it repeat over and over again? How long does the behavior last? What does the crow do with it’s body language? Is it loud or quiet? These questions will help you start to gather more information. I hope that helps.
I have been feeding a small family of crows there were 4 now 3 and 1 on its own. They will come are very cautious to land to eat usually one keeps watch. This morning i awoke to hear what sounded like a dolls voice say mama witha minute or so pause about 8 times when i g ot downstairs there was a large crow on my deck, they never come that close, I sent my son out with French fries sunflowerseed and bread for them. I clearly heard mama said. I wonder all this time when I go out to feed them and I say it’s ok mama is coming to feed her babies mama loves you, are they that smart they call me mama?
Hi Cara,
I think it’s definitely possible for Crows to express affection or gratitude for the humans who feed & care for them, but their language is definitely more emotional rather than linguistic.
The sound of “mama” probably means something quite different to you than it does to them but the emotion behind it might sometimes be similar.
I explain this more in the Crow Language home study course, and in the book “What’s That Crow Saying”. You might find those helpful if you’d like to learn more.
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your information. The last few mornings I have heard a murder of crows in trees behind our house. They fly around and it sounds like they are talking to each other, definitely context calls. We have owls and hawks in our neighborhood as well. Just curious as to why all of a sudden they are around, never heard them like this before. Even went around in the afternoon to look to see if there was a dead animal or something, but did not see anything. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jill,
How long does the behavior last for? If it’s just a short burst of activity that quickly mellows out, sometimes it’s just Crows moving through.
But if they hang out like that for awhile then there’s definitely something happening. Try looking at their body language & movement… are they focused in the tree tops? Are they perched in a big circle? Are they diving into a particular tree over and over again? These would be good signs of a hawk or owl.
It can be surprisingly tough to spot the predator so just keep watching and try to get a view into the branches.
Also… pay attention to what the other birds like robins or blue jays are saying. The other birds can give you great clues too 🙂
I just moved into a new house about 2 weeks ago. I’ve heard crows as they come and go, but today I have had 2 crows swooping between two tall trees in my yard and cawing all day. They haven’t stopped. They bounce from limb to limb in one tree, take flight, do a couple acrobatic swoops and land in the other tree. They caw incessantly both in a tree and in flight . Earlier in the morning I saw some sort of hawk fly in, perch on a limb and eventually leave, but 12 hours later my two crows are still at it. I don’t see a nest or anything else that could cause a commotion. I know they travel in groups but no other crows have come by, it’s just the two of them. Are you familiar with this type of behavior? Is it normal or is something happening?
Hi Deirdre,
Yes this is normal behavior for an alarm situation. This is often what will happen when you have an Owl perching. They can be amazingly well hidden so keep watching.
Does it happen every day? Or was it just that one time?
Two days ago my husband got up very early in the morning with tge sound of a group of crows cowing together. Their sound was not ready structured and had no pause and went on for an hour.
My mother who lives in another area in the city also has witnessed the same sound that day. Does it mean anything?
Hi Raha,
It definitely could be a predator, or possibly something territorial/food related.
I would try to gather a bit more information about the body language & overall activity before saying with confidence what it means.
Look for things like:
– Where are the crows are located… Are they flying or perched?
– Where are they focused… In a tree? On the ground?
– What happens when they stop cawing… Where do they go? What do they do next?
– Does it happen multiple days?
Keep watching & you can totally figure this one out!
IMG_2008.MOV
This is Blackie above my garden in San Francisco. Recently everyday he goes on and on and on like this. We heard a strange moaning/weird noise coming from the adjacent larger tree. Could it be a nest?
Thanks for any info. I love crows too.
Hi Brian!
Your post has been very helpful for me. When I returned to my apartment after a week long trip I found a crow nest put up on the left hand corner of the grill outside my window. As a result I have a fantastic view of the nest and the two tiny blue eggs. I have a problem I would like some insight on, if my limited information would help 🙁 Everytime I attempt to open my sliding glass window -just a little bit- from the right side to let cool breeze in, one of the parent crows perches itself on the grill outside and caws directly at me, about 6-7 caws, then moves higher on the grill and I get another 6-7 caws. I’ve been feeding them crums for the past few days to ease their apprehension at my sudden presence, but I am terribly inept at understanding their attempt to “talk” to me. Would they most likely be warning me to back off from the window or ask for more food? If I ever get too close to the right hand side of the window they fly away, and if I wait there for a minute or so, standing still, they eventually return and putter about, all the while facing me so they can keep track of my movements.
This is really interesting. This Spring a crow seems to have befriended me. He usually shows up when I am on my back deck – he (??) will sit on the railing and ‘caw’ at me – I have been a bit suspicious as I once had a pair divebomb me at my old house but this one hasn’t done anything to suggest aggression. I ‘think’ he left me a gift the other day – the skeletal remains of something on my railing. He also came to investigate what I was doing when I was in my den watching TV – he perched on the eves and was peering at me thought the window!?! I haven’t fed him – I will usually acknowledge him and say hi but having read this it makes me more confident. I have a dog – I think perhaps he has been cleaning up some of his leftover kibble on the porch….
Hello,
I really hope you can advise me…..I am very worried for the crows safety: blackberries surround many rural areas where I live and I spend weeks cutting /hauling the branches away each spring. A Hynoki Cypress maybe 20 feet tall had blackberries trying to cover it so I did cut the area beneath the tree and about 8feet up – THEN quite surprisingly a pair of beautiful crows that I had been feeding for a year started building their nest – I was able to watch them as the tree is about six feet away from a window. They built there nest quite low in the area I’d cleared of those terrible blackberrys…..I did not try and cut away anymore blackberry as I didn’t want to frighten them…anyway weeks later blackberry vines from the neighbour’s side of the tree have grown up and over the tree and have enclosed the nest…..I did see one young crow that made it out and also saw one of the parents trying to push away the brambles. I asked a wildlife rescue what I should do and they said leave it as is until fall…..however, the thorns could poke eyes out or puncture skin. I cannot see the nest so do not know if any birds are still using it. I think their first batch of young are away as the parents do not spend as much time in the area…..it may be they are nesting again.
Sorry to go on and on but I am heartsick over this….feel so inept at helping them, if they really need my help! What is best to do?
Don’t know were to Start… I’ll Try and Keep it Short and Simple.! Hi Brian it is Very nice to meet, I live in a Semi Detached house. A few weeks now this Very Pretty Fluffy Crow has been sitting on the Phone Wire and if been thrown scraps out anywAy that is Not What’s northern me The past two days.. It has been quaking like and. So I tried to see what was happening. as there is a Massive Tree out there (not mine) thank God.. And The Poor wee thing was just sitting there. Like he..or..she was Arguing with something or someone… Plz help Brian.. I feel sorry on um.. Ty
Hi there, thanks for the video. Just read a bit of tour bio-sounds like you are doing the work you are meant to do. Lovely. I seem to have many crows outside my window that have been doing a structured call but it goes on for hours!!! From about 4:30am until evening. I’m curious why, and if there’s anything I can do to discourage it. I know they’re lovely (and intelligent) creatures but we need to sleep and they’re quite loud.
Q:What is the meaning of the rattling (low pitched) haa-haas or rattling breath sounds.
[unnecessary info]:I feel like I made enemies of local crows last summer rescuing a fledgling from the middle of the road multiple times. The fledgling hopped down on its own, and despite my repeated request to my neighbor to not call the animal shelter, she did. I told her a million times that fledglings seem injured to most people, etc etc. Anyways am I a marked man?
Rattling is a call that’s often associated with courtship behavior. Are you noticing this during any particular season? Spring is when courtship happens so there are some unique calls that happen at this time.
In my experience, quiet sounds like rattles or clicks tend to be used for short range communication amongst family groups.
It’s really important to always consider the context because sometimes an identical sound can mean different things depending on the behavioral context, time of year, time of day, etc.
I have crows around my house and three of them always seem to caw when I go outside or leave my house with my son.. What does this mean? One or two always seem to follow me down the street as well And start cawing again when I get out of the store.. Just curious if this means something!!
It’s fairly common for Crows to give a short burst of alert calls when a human steps outside. In your case, do they make the calls while flying up from the ground? I always encourage folks to connect the sound with behavior before, during and after because it helps you see the context.
I would try listening BEFORE you step outside so you can identify whether your behavior is actually the cause of the calls. It’s possible they were doing it before you left the house in response to something else.
This has been a particularly noisy day here in the trees of Barrie Ontario. I often hear them on a Sunday morning and jokingly suggest they are rallying for church. Something is upsetting them to-day . There is more squawking than calling. I love the stories from your readers and will go back over your information. Thank you
Thanks Margot! I’m loving all the stories too 🙂
Remember, Crows are just one small part of the bird language universe. I have another page about the language of American Robins which is totally fascinating – https://nature-mentor.com/robin-calls/
Hi Brian, I mimic the song of the birds since I was a child, I am 29 now. I can understand other birds and make them to answer me with a territorial song. Since I moved to a new country with a lot of crows, I cant make a crow answer to me, I think this is amazing, I have tried to understand the songs that they make to be able to have a conversation with one of them one day, but now I hope to be at least able to call them for food. The most crows that I cow for just fly away scared of me. Or they really ignore me, as a cat that doesn’t care and is just minding his own business. Thank you for the videos and information that you are sharing. I am looking forward to learn more.
Thanks for sharing Kelly. Have you ever heard of Pavlov and his dogs? He would ring a bell, then give them food and measure their salivation. Eventually he could ring the bell and they would salivate with or without food offered. It’s a sign they had learned.
You can teach crows you’re offering food using the same method. Just be very consistent. Give a call whenever you leave your food outside. They should eventually learn to associate food with your call. It might take a bit of time depending on how close you live to their core territory. Let me know if you try this. I’d love to hear what happens 🙂
I’m honestly really sick of hearing these crows in the morning every morning around 5-6am. It’s the high intensity cawing. What will put a stop to it?
Yeah, I hear these kinds of stories from time to time. How many crows are we talking about here?
At last! A place I can ask questions about the crows surrounding my house!
I live on the base of the Saint John river in New Brunswick Canada. The crows spend endless time on the beach, which is affected by tides of the Bay of Funday. Somehow I don’t think these are normal crows.
My question is about the different calls they make. Right now they are high in the one of the pine trees skawking. Not calling but skawking. Non stop for a long time.
I always say hello to them when they are on the beach and when they cawing, but the skawking in completely different. Would this be a young crow?
Possibly, it depends on what sound you mean by “skawking”. If they are younglings then their parents will probably bring them food. Keep watching and see if any other crows approach. Their behavior & context will help you interpret the sound.
I have recently started noticing that most of the crows in my city have started to have a high pitch sound. Its usually two crows together and the other crow doesn’t say anything. I also witness a crow following another crow and making making the same high pitch sound.
Hello there. It seems like you know a lot about crows. I was just wondering, what would cause crows to attack someone? Ive heard multiple reports about crows attacking people and i’d love to know why.
Crows will sometimes attack people if they perceive you as a threat. The most common scenario I hear is people who think a fledgling is injured and try to help. If a crow sees you touch their young, it can sometimes make them upset. Sometimes crows can hold a grudge for a long time. Dog owners sometimes have problems if their dog attacks a fledgling.
Hello Brian, so glad to have found your site. Quick question: I have lived in my neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, for nearly 20 years and have noticed consistent groupings/gatherings in the mornings and evenings as the crows seem to group together (rather talkatively, but I enjoy it) from smaller sets to larger groups, often an enormous group gathering in a tree and then taking off in the same direction in several clusters. This morning I spent some time outside at 5 a.m. or so, just listening. There was one repeated cry which was more of a shrieky, two-part call, which happened every minute or so, followed by the other more usual chatter. Is there a ‘gathering’ call for our corvid buddies during this transition? (We are also in between a large natural area/city park with reservoirs and another smaller-but-big park with a pond, so our suspicions are that there’s some gathering of family units as they head in and out for the day.) Would love any insight you might have. 🙂
In Mendocino, CA we don’t have crows but we do have ravens… Lots of them. Would you know if the calls, etc they use mean the same as your crows?
Generally yes, the behaviors are very similar, but Ravens are quite a bit less social and less noisy in general so it’s a lot more subtle.
I did a comparison of Crow VS Raven calls you might find helpful at https://nature-mentor.com/crows-vs-ravens/
Hi Brian. I’m going to order your Crow Language Home Study Course. I was wondering whether it is completely online (I hope) or if there are physical materials — CDs, etc. Also, if you’ll be mailing something, whether tracking is available.
I’ve downloaded your free What’s That Crow Saying and Wild Observer and found them very informative and helpful. I’m just getting started feeding and observing my neighborhood crows and would like to increase my understanding of them.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and observational skills with us.
Hi Adrian,
Thanks for your message! The program is completely online so after you place your order there will be an email with links to download the course materials.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my free information. I look forward to sharing more with you!
– Brian
Hi Brian, there is a crow perched high in one of the pine trees close to my house. It’s March and pretty quiet in the Catskill Mtns, NY except for this one crow who has been cawing a fairly high pitched, somewhat urgent sound every 5 seconds, all day, for the past 3 days. I hope that it’s alright. I also hope this curious, vaguely distressing cry will stop.
Do you have any idea what this bird is saying? I haven’t actually seen it but I’ve seen a couple other crows flying in it’s vicinity. It sounds like a bird of the crow’s size. Quit sure it is a crow. -Collin
Hi Colin, it could be a juvenile begging call, or possibly a female crow imitating a juvenile begging call. These calls can sound vaguely distressing and go on for days at a time.
If you watch the two other crows flying in, see if you can identify a rhythm to their movement. If they’re feeding a juvenile then they’ll fly back and forth with food repeatedly and this would help confirm what’s happening.
Hello Brian,
So many questions since a crow adopted me the spring before last. I’ve watched them near my house for years and was aware that they watched me. One morning when I was out with the dogs a crow perched on the roof over the back door as close as he could be to me. He hunched down and looked at me expressing himself. I had a piece of toast left from breakfast so I put it out on a table in the yard. It was gone in a minute. And he came for more. I’ve fed this crow and his family for the last two springs. [he loves scrambled eggs and I always make extra] There was one youngster the first spring and four this year. Then they didn’t come to me for food again after the young appeared to be taking care of themselves. But this year one of the young is still being fed by the adult male. Maybe this is a dumb question but is it possible for a young crow to be underdeveloped and not able to feed itself? This young one also has a strange call that I’ve never heard. It sounds like it’s calling ‘wiggie’. They fascinate me and I feel so fortunate to have made a connection with them.
The exact timing of behaviors like nesting and crows being more independent can change from year to year.
Just like people, animals all develop at their own pace, and environmental factors can affect it too.
Hope that helps. Keep watching!