Crow behavior

[untonuggan]

Sorry for so many posts today, but I keep meaning to mention this because I think it would interest some of you. Then I forget because it happens so often.

We have a bird bath outside. Almost daily, someone has to fish out a soggy piece of bread. We finally figured out that someone nearby must be leaving out stale bread for local wildlife, and the local crows take it to our birdfeeder and let it soak *just enough* that it is the right consistancy for them. They then break it up amongst themselves -- possibly accompanied with fending off the grackle population -- but usually leave a bit behind.

I'm not sure why they leave a bit behind? Maybe it gets too soft at that point? They leave a certain piece of the bread? IDK.

But yeah. I also don't know if this counts as "tool use" officially, or just "more smart crow behavior."

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Offering part of the meal to the crow gods? :-D

[davidgillon]

Great minds, etc...

[altamira16]

I think ivy would appreciate this entry.

[untonuggan]

feel free to share :)

[umadoshi]

But yeah. I also don't know if this counts as "tool use" officially, or just "more smart crow behavior."

Either way, it's pretty great. ^_^

[untonuggan]

isn't it? :) glad you enjoyed!

[chalcopyrite]

That is really neat! Thanks for sharing!

(I must get a crow-feeding station set up for this winter, not least so they don't need to get clever and break into the songbirds' feeders.)

[untonuggan]

oooh, there's such a thing as a crow-feeding station? Right now what they usually do is a) look really awkward on the tiny suet feeder; b) dump half the seed from the seed feeder on the ground trying to get it out but *they* aren't ground feeders, so the other birds enjoy the bonanza. (And squirrels. Don't forget them.)

[chalcopyrite]

There isn't such a thing marketed ready-made, but I'm going to put up a large flat surface somewhere stable so they can have peanuts etc. for their very own. (Like a bird-table, but bolted down or something because a freestanding one would blow over here.)

The crows here are perfectly happy to eat off the ground... but so is the dog. wry g

[st_aurafina]

Maybe they're making hooch? Stop taking their starter culture out, damn it!

[untonuggan]

lol! who knows! or maybe it's there way of claiming that birdfeeder in the name of their crow family.