Befriending the Crows - Part 2: Getting Closer & New Behavior

In part 2 of befriending the crows we look at the developments in befriending the corvids around me (jackdaws, crows, and magpies). There is some interesting new behavior of the jackdaws, and both the crows and jackdaws dare to get closer. Befriending the corvids is done by feeding them on a semi-regular basis with peanuts and dog food. By now the birds recognize me and fly towards me whenever I'm outside.
Enjoy!

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Patrons: Claudia Watrin, Justin Duch, Connor Johnson, Lisa L. Altizer, Nikolas Morka

[ИванКруглов-эщ]

I wonder how neighbours feel about sharply-dressed man walking with a flock of corvids

[joefly]

Look at this distinguished gentleman, look at the way he's sitting, yes very distinguished. Hmm, i see.

[greensun]

Can't wait to see how the Jackdaws get on in a sealed, aquatic environment.

[guidodejonge]

Wake up the most hyped sequel just dropped

[lelkish]

Leave a coin or three on the table to see if that encourages them to leave you a "gift".

[crow]

The attire still on point given the task

[Unimportant]

Impressed with how good the jackdaws got at catching peanuts midair.

[leo.m.]

You definitely made sure that they were able to recognise you! Imagine being a crow and seeing not only a person with a look that stands out, but he also feeds you peanuts. It’s only a matter of time…

[jim-bob]

That point where a whole crowd of them are doing the jumping behaviour towards the end really shows how popular it has become 😂, really cool!

[merlinathrawes]

I would suggest wrapping coarse rope around the railing. I did this with some corvids when I lived in a flat. They loved it.

[vulcanraven]

The crows dont swallow the peanut whole, they keep it in the back of their beak to store them, i fed my crows many peanuts and would observe them putting 5 or 6 in the back of their beak, tilting their head down as not to swallow one or suffocate

[leftcash]

One thing that helps to calm birds down is to not look at them directly, because that is what predators do. They are highly aware of what we are looking at. Ive noticed if I pass the pidgeons on the little footbridge close to my home they will stay seated on the railings as long as I don't look at them directly.

[potterteksmith]

Of course they are very cautious, they live in the wild where there's always a lot of hazards for them to avoid or else.
I get crows, currawongs, magpies (the local corvid families) along with many other families in my yard (from wrens to pigeons and parrots, cockatoos in size). Magpies now watch me even if I don't see them and if I drop any food in the grass they turn up straight away :)

[papersock]

Can't wait to see when you keep one of the birds in a jar

[TheSamuelTime]

Having been feeding local corvids for close to two years now I'd suggest starting to buy peanuts in bulk. 10kg for ~30€, otherwise this quickly becomes quite the expensive endeavor. Also, if you really want to give them a treat that they absolutely love; Mealworms.

[bittehiereinfugen]

We also became friends with our crows some time ago and have many wonderful moments with them.
Just today one flew at my husband's head and pulled his hat off his head.
Yes, that was cheeky. On the other hand, once again he didn't have any food with him, and now in winter the crows are just really hungry.

A crow gave me a stone at the beginning of the year.
I had a very bad day with a lot of sadness and just needed to be alone.
One of my crows came to me (yes, I had fed her shortly before, but then showed her that I really didn't have any food left), placed a small pebble at my feet and flew away.
I am deeply grateful for this gesture and consider it an honor.
I treasure the stone, and when I have enough money left over for it at some point, I will have a jeweler put a setting on the stone.

[apostiveperson]

I know that you can't exactly doing anything about this but, you most likely notice that when they land on your balcony railings, they are a bit clumsy with their footing. They can't get a good grip on the metal, which is kind of like if you where to suddenly go from running on solid ground, to running on thick ice, no grip!

It's unlikely that you can do anything about this (apartment building), but, if you found a way to set something up so that they would be able to grab onto the rail when they land, they would most likely appreciate it!
It could even be something as simple as draping a towel (one you don't care about of course) over the railing when you interact with them, it could take them a bit to actually try it, as well, sudden change in environment, and you would have the risk of them accidentally knocking it off your balcony!

I find the crows near my home seem a lot more trusting and curious when landing on the wooden balcony rails, but often seem anxious and stressed when faced with a surface that they can't grab onto, which makes sense, as they would be constantly worried about making sure they don't lose their grip on the surface. I too would be rather stressed if I was standing on something and having to be careful with my every move, less I lose my balance and fall on my face.

On another note, if they ever bring you something, reward it! Give them something extra, we usually give them raw peanuts, but when one does something that we want to reward, we give them some of liver treats that we have for our cats, that way they come to the conclusion of 'I do this, I get a tastier treat'. But don't do it too much! I will say that corvids are very much capable of becoming greedy and demanding, so make it clear that they would only get the treat if they performed the action, (and probably get a max of 1-2 per day). We had a pair that decided to protest this by yelling at us, through the window, we would put out the peanuts, and they would ignore them. Eventually they got the idea and took the peanuts.

Good luck with them! :)

[MoorishBandit]

Haha only a few days in and the jackdaw's can already outsmart the pigeons by jumping for the peanut.

[japtlvsq]

Hey man this is exactly what i did when I was living in Prague, now I live in Miami and left my corvid friends there BUT I do have so tricks for you. I've found out that it's important to talk to the birds, it is their primary mode of communication. I would even have names for birds I've come to known. Handfeeding took me months but one day a couple of magpies that I've know brought their young kid to my balcony, it was perhaps the best times. Sadly it was just about time I left for US.

[TheSeptemberRose]

OH! Regarding the Jackdaws catching food mid-air: Where I live, in Toronto Ont. Canada, we have TONS of Ring-billed Gulls, and they're excellent at catching food mid-air! I prefer to feed them this way because allowing them to take food from your hand is not recommended. They can become aggressive and lose their fear of humans and steal food right from people's hands. It happens at public beaches a lot.