Befriending the Crows - Part 1: First Contact

Befriending the crows, or actually all corvids (crows, jackdaws and magpies), is the goal of this video. In this video we look at the first contact: getting to know the corvids and them getting to know me, which is done by feeding them on a semi-regular basis. After the first contact they seem to recognize me and I got a little gift of a magpie.
Enjoy!

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

[thebiologist]

I've worked at a bird rescue center and had to take care of hundreds of corvids. If you want them to like you, give them bugs, specifically, crickets and mealworms. They also eat wet dog food. It was the main food we gave them. Something around 20% protein. You put the food with enough water and let it in the fridge for 24 hours. They like it better than seeds and nuts.

Seeds and nuts they'll eat in winter to summer and late summer to winter they'll like fruits and berries. Dog food they eat year-round and insects are considered a treat.

Young corvids are more likely to befriend you. You can notice this on jackdaws because they lack the feathers that cover the sides of the beak and their eyes have a more bright blue color.

They are very playful but very demanding. They used to pull my earlobes demanding food or attention, scream into my ears, jump on top of my head and pull my hair, perch on my shoulders, pull on my laces and my apron and my pants, and steal the pincers I used to feed them with.

Oh, and if you're gonna pet them, not on the wings, tail, or body feathers. Only the head. Birds produce a fatty oil to make themselves waterproof and our human skin oil destroys that. It's very costly for them to produce that oil.

In my experience, jackdaws will get closer than any other corvids, then crows, then magpies.

[melanievarela]

Well done. A couple tips; Corvids like cat and dog food. Get as high quality as you can afford. If you drop or throw short, don't move forward and pick up. If it's on the ground, it's theirs. If you pick it up, you're a thief. Walk away from it for them to retrieve. After your walk, go to your balcony, make your noise, and show the food. Try to do the walk/feed at the same time everyday. Soon enough, they will be tapping your window at "Meal time".

[Psykrom]

The fact that you got something shiny in return on your plate is proof that you made at least one grateful birdy friend.

[RonnaHarlow]

Thinking outside the jar ... brilliant!!

[endlesswanderer]

My uncle had a pet crow he called Lugnut. It was the smartest bird I've ever seen and could catch food tossed in the air like a dog being thrown a frisbee. He would bring shiny things to my uncle all the time; coins, rings, rocks, screws, bolts, and you might have guessed it, lugnuts.

He got the name 'Lugnut' because one of his neighbors told him about this crazy crow that swooped down and stole one of his lugnuts as he was changing a flat tire. Presumably to gift to my uncle moments later.

[iggypeters]

I live in a small town and I started feeding corvids about two years ago. My goal was to have something similar to a pet because I couldn't have one at home. Now I'm the fatherbird of a murder of about 200 jackdaws. Mostly of the time they show up in groups of about 50 when walk to the bus when I wake up. But one time I fed them and they kept coming like a storm and I certainly did not have that much peanuts. It is amazing being greeted every morning

[Eserchie]

"My neighbours don't want rats all over the place. ... for some reason." Never change LiJ?, never change.

[Kraus-]

Bruh is living the dream. Ravens are peak corvid.

He did it! A gift!

[Jonon]

The other day I was walking home from work through a Norwegian city that shall remain unnamed.
When I rounded the corner by the harbor I suddenly saw a murder of about a dozen crows kind of milling or hovering around the building on the opposite side of the street.

From behind the building stepped a long-haired, somewhat gruff man with a long brown beard, a drooping wide-brimmed hat and a walking stick. The crows were all following him. For all I knew it was old Yggr himself out for a stroll.

Whoever it was, he looked like the peak of contentedness.

[stardustnebula]

Look at this distinguished gentleman! Wearing his best suit! Hello from Amsterdam, i'm a local and a big fan of your channel, and i've also begun befriending the crows in my neighbourhood

[cinnamonsugarcourtney]

The little charm they left for you is cute!

[tracybowling]

So I raised a baby squirrel that I found in my backyard. He had fire ants all over him. He lives outside during the day. I helped him build his first drey in the bathroom. So that's where he sleeps at night. But I feed all the squirrels and crows, and red-bellied woodpeckers that want to eat. I make the same sound that you made. But when I call Rocky, my squirrel, they ALL come. They think that's the signal. I can even feed them by hand! It's so much fun!!!

[jamesscarr]

Part of the reason the pigeons came so close is because they are domesticated! Pigeons were bred for generations to trust humans, the ones we see all over cities are the feral pigeon population. The reason they're so destructive in cities is because they don't have the proper diet (almost entirely seeds are what they need, if i remember correctly) which makes their waste extremely acidic. In healthy birds the waste can even be composted to make really good fertilizer, though when it inst composted it tends to be too high in nitrogen for delicate plants. Pigeons aren't necessarily stupid, they were just made to trust us :D

[Stratoliner]

This is on my bucket list of things to do, honestly. I love crows, such an intelligent birb!

[RandomZShorts]

IS THIS A DREAM?
I LOVE CROWS AND I LOVE THESE TYPES OF VIDEOS
AND I LOVE LIFE IN JARS
AND LIFE IN JARS MADE THIS TYPE OF VIDEO
THIS IS CRAZY
Edit; also the reason pigeons trust you way more is because theyre actually among the first domesticated animals. They are domesticated pretty much like cats

[Vpg]

If you make this into a new series, I’d definitely get invested. Always fascinated by their intelligence

[ItsDrMcQuack]

God damn, looking dapper!

Corvids, jars, three piece suits. You have it all 👌

[Nyzrael]

Magnificent beings. Such glossy black feathers.

[sladoid]

I appreciate the realistic approach, this is actually what it's like to train a bird.

[arrozconmanzana]

Thank you for your videos. I had an encounter with a crow while working on someone's house. I shared some of my peanuts with a pair of them for a couple of days. I went back to work there after a couple of months and the crows either recognized my truck (I was placing the food on top of my truck) or me, as they came and landed on top of the truck staring at me. They are very interesting creatures. I will be waiting for part 2. Nice suit by the way.