# crows



## pigeonlover01 (Feb 9, 2005)

does anyone know when crows start making their nests? after mating i mean.
i want a crow as a pet as i had last year but i dont remeber what time of year i got him.
thanks


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Andreas, 

Aren't crows a protected bird in BC? Even if they are not, you shouldn't take a baby away from it's parents for the sole purpose of keeping it as a pet. This is unethical and morally wrong. I really hope you will leave any crow nests alone.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I believe you're right, Brad. American Crow does appear to be protected under the Canadian section of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/intrnltr/mbta/cnvntion.pdf

John


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## LuisO (Nov 14, 2005)

As well as in the U.S. they are protected although you can shoot them...lol its funny and stupid at the same time. You might want to check with local rescue shelters or rebah centers. They may have crows available to people who are experianced in bird handling. Crows are very intelligent and require lots of space and attention. The best way to aquire a crow is to either buy an African Pied Crow (which you can legally own but will run you 1000-2000.00) or rescue one. Please dont take it from a nest because if you do you could get caught and we dont want that happening.

I have been thinking about a crow myself. I'm an experianced animal/bird trainer and crows are very beneficial especially when you have hawks around. A well trained crow will keep the hawks away.

Good luck!

Luis


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

LuisO said:


> A well trained crow will keep the hawks away.Luis


I've heard that too. What do crows eat? We've got some that hang around here and I would love to have them spend more time in our yard.


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Andrea,

In your very mild climate in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, the crows can and do nest through spring, summer and fall. Can you tell me what happened to the baby Crow you had last year? You might know that one of the Crows worst enemies in your parts are of all things Racoons. Especially during nesting season. There is some sort of animosity between the species that I think relates to the fact that Racoons in your area live in trees and take so many bird eggs if found unattended. They are true opportunists. 

Crows and Racoons are natural enemies and happily terrorize each other as they compete for the same space in the trees. I have seen how Racoons will kill young birds on the ground and never bother to eat them. It seems to be personal. But I am getting off track.

Luis is right that Crows need a lot of space and attention. They are incredibly intelligent birds and you cannot expect them to live in coops like pigeons might. I hope you will leave them be and reconsider the idea of trying to keep one unless you have the space, time and resources to properly care for one. 

Cameron


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Lovebirds said:


> I've heard that too. What do crows eat? We've got some that hang around here and I would love to have them spend more time in our yard.



Renee, in answer - ALMOST ANYTHING! We have had a family whose numbers have fluctuated over the past 8-10 years visit us daily. We encourage them because we love them so much. They can be so silly and cute. They bring their babies up every spring. Last fall I mentioned that one of their babies got sick and I swear they brought him to our yard for help. But it was so hard to catch him even though one day he walked up our back steps and practically knocked on the kitchen door. Finally, we trapped him in a box but he died overnight. I'll never forget him either.

We feed them soaked dog food pellets, chicken, canned dog food (that was on the menu today along with some chicken), bread, cracked pecans, regular bird seed and most any leftovers like roast beef, fish, etc. Cooked or raw, they'll eat it. And, I kinda hate to say this but when we remove the eggs from under our pigeons we put them in the grass for the crows - guess it sounds bad but at least they get some nutrition from them. Also, weuse the top of a concrete well cover that sits flat on the ground so they can bathe. In the summer they pile in it and then get in the middle of the yard and lounge around and stare up at the sun.

They let us know when the small hawks are around and run them off. Now, our larger red shouldered hawks are a different story. They will go to the feeding container and the crows don't mess with them except to try to snitch some food away. They will run up behind the hawk and pull his tail (really, they do it all the time) and the hawk puts up with it awhile then jumps at the crows causing them to scatter. But they come back. They are so funny.

Maggie


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## LuisO (Nov 14, 2005)

Crows are spectacular for chasing hawks away. We couldn't live in a better location for the pigeons. I believe there is a nest the crows are making nest almost directly above the loft. When my birds where out for the 1st time flying I did loose one bird to a hawk but the crows came quickly and started chasing the hawk away. They are great.

Now keeping a crow. A crow can be kept in a LARGE SPACIOUS aviary if you dont plan on training you crow. If he is trained a large indoor cage would be great, maybe something as large as a macaw cage and every day, take him outside to fly to help build up your relationship and train them. Take him on walks to learn the area. Of course you will walk and he will follow from the sky and trees but thats how they learn.

You would have to read up on Hand-rearingf, or building a relationship first and then read up on free flying your bird. Of course you would take him in at the end of the day.

A little story: A friend of mine and his father found a crow years back when I was in Elementary school. They raised it up and taught it to stay around. The crow had such a great bond with my friend that he would follow, the car, bus bike, whatever he would get into and go all the way to our school, about 5 miles away and wait for him ALL day! He would even come to the window and drop acorns and such at the window.

He did this for years! I wonder if he still hangs around the area?

Luis


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Crows and Mockingbirds are truly fearless with hawks and will charge, dive bomb, and do their best to drive the hawks away.

Yes, crows can and do eat just about anything .. a good staple diet for them is soaked dog kibble and hard boiled eggs.

Yes, crows are protected in all of North America by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and it is illegal to have one as a pet .. period .. if you get caught, then you will be facing steep fines, jail time, and it's a federal rap here in the US.

As was posted, you can buy captive raised exotic crows .. they are pricey, and you wouldn't be letting them out to chase away hawks.

Folks, I'm going to repeat this again .. it is ILLEGAL to possess any wild bird covered under the MBTA. You just can't do it. Yes, you can rescue an orphan (but you better be sure it is an orphan before taking it), yes, you can rescue a sick or injured wild bird, but in the US, you have at an absolute maximum 72 hours to get it to a permitted facility. 

Here in the US, English Sparrows, European Starlings, and Rock Pigeons are not covered by the MBTA .. thus you would be allowed to rescue and possess these birds. Still, the same advice goes .. don't be out there birdnapping babies .. truly, you can't raise them as good as their parents will. Yes, if is it an orphan or sick and injured, then get the bird and do your very best to help .. just try to know what you are doing and what the laws are.

Terry


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Thank-you Brad and Terry for the heads up on the protected status of crows. I would not have known that otherwise. 

It really is best to leave these birds to fly free with their parents and families Andreas. They are majestic, intelligent creatures and not meant to be pets at all.

Cameron


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Next too pigeons crows are my favourit birds there wounderfull smart birds for my hole life iv always wanted one but i would not mess with any crows they can carry some very bad sicknesses that could make you very sick too im not saying all crows have these things as a matter of fact its quiet rare a crow will be sick but i would not take any chances on touching a wild one besides you should never touch a baby bird unless its parents for shur are not around and it defenetly needs help.!!! Or better call an animall controll especailly if its a crow.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Want a crow as a pet .. here you go: http://www.geocities.com/corvidranch/

I'd love to have one .. just don't have the $$$ to put into it right now.

Terry


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Crows? Blackbirds? I am confused. I had what appeared to be a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" (minus the pigeons!) .There as maybe a couple of flocks of a black bird variety feasting out of my backyard today. There have always been "black birds" present to some degree...but not this many, or at last not that I ever noticed. They are long billed (white billed) black feathers but have the purple irrecandesent color around their necks that shine so beautifully in the sun, So, what are they?


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## pigeonlover01 (Feb 9, 2005)

*hi*

i know ... but they arent protected u r even aloud to shoot them..
i want a crow to protect my rollers when they fly. i did that last year with my other crow it worked perfectly!
and i started With pigeons when i first took one from its parents and hand fed it. thats when i began to like them now i have a coupe full haha.
so i mean u gotta start somewhere right?
anyway thanx about the crow thing my pigeon is in deep trouble . please read the link about "injured squab" thanx


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## pigeonlover01 (Feb 9, 2005)

*camrron*

my crow last year,
i went to a summer camp for three weeks so my brother took care of him(he was already old enopugh to eat food etc. 
so i was gone for 3 weeks and the crow let no one touch him except me . so my brother just put food out for him. HE Lived in my pigeon coupe with ALL my pigeons!!!!! sweeet eh?every time a hawk came he scared it away. so when i cam back from camp he was a bit too wild . seeing that he found himself a mate i let him out of the cage! he comes back every now and then. yesderday i was talking to my crow from about 15 feet(he still has 2 pigeons bands on him) he was caaaaing for about 15 minutes then he flew off. tahts my story lol thats y i want abother crow and they protect piogeons well .


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Victor said:


> Crows? Blackbirds? I am confused. I had what appeared to be a scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" (minus the pigeons!) .There as maybe a couple of flocks of a black bird variety feasting out of my backyard today. They are long billed (white billed) black feathers but have the purple irrecandesent color around their necks that shine so beautifully in the sun, So, what are they?


Hi Victor, 

Can you describe these "black birds" more? How big are they, how long is the tail and what shape. Eye colour? Sounds like they might be magpies but did you mean "white billed" or white "bellied"? Magpies are members of the crow family and are quite large with a very long tail. There is the black billed magpie and the yellow billed magpie here in North America.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Victor,

The birds may be grackles: http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=BD0339

Terry


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Grackles, yes I believe the specie to be that. I did some research last night on my break at work, but the pictures were not as full as Terry posted. 

Brad, the bills are pointed like the picture with an off white color. They are very sketerish, but I will try and sneak a peek thru my binoculars next time. But then again, may have been black?

Right now there are none romping or feeding in the back yard. I am wondering if maybe they were just a flock or two passing thru?

Now this morning on my middle school bus route, I did see many large black birds, definately crows. Geez they are some big ones!

So many interesting birds out there, ya know that? 

Thanks for the response Terry and Brad.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Victor said:


> Brad, the bills are pointed like the picture with an off white color. They are very sketerish, but I will try and sneak a peek thru my binoculars next time. But then again, may have been black?
> 
> 
> Now this morning on my middle school bus route, I did see many large black birds, definately crows. Geez they are some big ones!
> ...


Hi Victor, 

Hmmmm...Grackles don't have "off white" beaks... but juvenile starlings kinda do. If you could describe these birds more, tail lenth, body size, eye colour, I could probably narrow it down

As for the crows, yep....some of them are quite large....about the size of my runts really, only my runts are about twice the weight Crows are sometimes called "Black chickens"....to those that love and care for them and runts are sometimes called "chicken pigeons"


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Yep, I looked at them today. Black bills. Terry was right.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Victor said:


> Yep, I looked at them today. Black bills. Terry was right.


Hey, LOL...You were the one that said that they had "off white" beaks....I was going by YOUR observations


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Now,now Mr.Brad, I did state...."may have been black..."

so, there!


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## Camrron (Dec 19, 2005)

Just off track a bit here,...


But have you guys ever been to the Canadian Rockies by any chance and seen the Ravens there? They are, (I swear it), as big as an eagle, as bold as a Whisky Jack, as smart as a crow and as social as any friendy human being. They are truly an exceptional creature! I have seen them in Banff and Lake Louise. Beautiful *and huge*.

Anyone else seen these incredible Rockies Birds?

Cameron


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Oh, the grackles we have here by the thousands. The really cool ones are the red winged ones. I think they call them red winged black birds not grackles, but these birds look just like grackles not black birds (starlings). I have one question about crows I have a wildlife propaganda permit and this alows me to keep all kind of native animals such as fox, coyotes, native birds, just about everything. I am not positive, but crow may be on the list. Am I wrong?


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## pigeonlover01 (Feb 9, 2005)

*help i need advice*

on my other link i posted (injured squab) i have a young squab with a wing problem that i am uncertain of. who ever read this link if you could please check out the link and give me advice.
 thanx


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

*Naughty Crows*



TAWhatley said:


> Crows and Mockingbirds are truly fearless with hawks and will charge, dive bomb, and do their best to drive the hawks away.
> 
> Terry


I saw a bad crow this morning, fly straight into a Woodpigeon sitting on my fence and knocked feathers flying - so he must has tried to grab him a bit with his claws. Naughty thing. 

Also they tend to mob grey herons - poor old herons flying around with a couple of crows circling around around him. 

Tania


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

kittypaws said:


> I saw a bad crow this morning, fly straight into a Woodpigeon sitting on my fence and knocked feathers flying - so he must has tried to grab him a bit with his claws. Naughty thing.
> 
> 
> 
> Tania


Hi Tania, 

That's an interesting thing you witnessed! Did the crow purposely go after the wood pigeon and didn't the wood pigeon fly away? Wood pigeons are quite large birds, I'm really surprised that a crow would go after an adult!


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

*Food!!!*

Hi Brad,

The pigeon flew away as soon as the crow hit him but he didn't appear to realise he was foing to get attacked - there were a few feathers dropping away from the crow's feet as if he had taken a grab of the pigeon. The pigeon was adult - the crow then flew down onto my grass where he began to eat some of the food that I put out for the pigeons, but I don't normally get crows do that - must be one with a different personality.

I wondered if he was trying to push the pigeon away from a food source.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

kittypaws said:


> I wondered if he was trying to push the pigeon away from a food source.



This is exactly what I was going to write and suggest Sounds like the crow just didn't want the pigeon around gobbling up all the food Crows are quite smart and very aggressive at a food source. They won't hesitate to bully other birds from a feeding spot.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Ohiogsp - what is a wildlife propaganda permit? Are you in the USA?

Maggie


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## pigeonlover01 (Feb 9, 2005)

*I dont understand*

IF YOU CAN SHOOT crows why cant you have them as pets!?????????????????
i know 2 people right now who have pet crows and 5 that had pet crowS!!!!
they are awsome . u hand feed them the stick around a few years(wilingly)!!! they are free So i guess technicaly its like saying its not my pet the crow just sticks around! any advice on who i can talk to about crows?
(From government or something?)


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Lady Tarheel said:


> Ohiogsp - what is a wildlife propaganda permit? Are you in the USA?
> 
> Maggie


I think Ohio meant a propagation permit whereby the permit holder can captively breed certain species of birds and animals.

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

pigeonlover01 said:


> So i guess technicaly its like saying its not my pet the crow just sticks around! any advice on who i can talk to about crows?
> (From government or something?)


Hi Andreas,

Here's a place to start: http://www.ec.gc.ca/wild_e.html

Truly, I don't think you can legally keep a crow as a pet in Canada and suspect that in order to kill them you have to get a depredation permit just like here in the U.S. Other types of protected birds, such as ducks, are considered game birds, and while they can be legally killed during hunting season if the hunter holds the necessary hunting license or permit, they also cannot be legally kept as pets. To my knowledge, crows are not considered game birds.

Terry


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

meat, carrion, and also baby birds unfortuately. Seagulls are just as bad for gulping baby birds down with no problem.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Yes, This is what I ment "propagation permit". Mi speling not goood ether.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Hmm grackles iv had a hole flock of them i dont like them comming around me because they kill and eat the baby song birds there was a pair of robins that had 2 young ones one day i went outside and i seen Grackles around the robin nest the robins were screeming at them i tryed to shoo them away but they grabed the babys and all i herd was the poor things screem the robins could not do anything then it got worse the grackles decided to live in the big tree in the back and all summer i herd baby birds and there parents screeming it was horrible they got the cardinalls doves red wings ect..... but also some crows decided to stop buy at my house i fed them some food and just as they started to leave they stoped near the grackles nests and starting grabbing there babys being so large they almost took them all im not sayen im happy for the grackles losing there babys but they got some of there own doing. 

And for crows heres a little info i found about them it seems when we move ill be buying some crows too but ill make shur they get checked out first. http://www.fairharbor.com/fhca/ca2406mosqcrowsfaq.htm


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

christina11 said:


> And for crows heres a little info i found about them it seems when we move ill be buying some crows too but ill make shur they get checked out first.


Hi Christina, 

You cannot buy crows in Canada. The only place that I know that sells them is in the USA and they are VERY expensive...about $1000.00.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Christina, are you sure they were grackles. The starlings are known for this behavior and are also black birds.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Lady Tarheel, Yes I am in the US.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> Hi Christina,
> 
> You cannot buy crows in Canada. The only place that I know that sells them is in the USA and they are VERY expensive...about $1000.00.


Oh realy casue iv seen some ppl in canada with pet crows hmm.. i guess no crows for me oh well.



> ohiogsp
> Christina, are you sure they were grackles.


Yep im possitiv cause i study on diff names and types of birds in the summer heres a pic of what they look like


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## Sumit.Ghosh (Feb 16, 2006)

Hiiii,
eek: U want crows....??? I can give u hundreads .  Alas I am in Kolkata, India. Here we have crows all around. People can't tolerate them. They are shooed away. These birds are intelligent. Here temperature soares very high. We generally keep water for them. They get what ever they can, dip in water to soften the stuff before they stuff them with that
Sumit from India


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