The Ultimate Guide To Befriend A Crow

How to befriend a crow. Step 1 find a crow pair. In this video I want to show you how to make friends with a wild crow. It is a very touching experience to gain the trust of a wild animal. Many of us have this dream. For me it is about reconnecting with the wild side of ourselves, with our own freedom. It is a connection beyond language on a level of communication that we all intuitively understand whether we are aware of it or not. The basic requirement for any kind of connection with a wild animal is of course the animal itself. To connect with any wild animal you first need some basic knowledge about the animal. Where do animals of this species live? Are they diurnal or nocturnal? What sounds do they make? What kind of resting places do they prefer? Do they live with us all year round? What do they eat? Or are they migratory animals? There are several species of crows. For example carrion crow, hooded crow, rook crow, American crow to name just a few of the most common species. Crows are also often confused with ravens or magpies. Even though these are also corvids they are different species. With the crows we know that they are cultural followers. They live everywhere where people live. Crows are easy to find. They are diurnal, quite large and have a loud voice. Young crows form large groups that we can often find in parks for example. They can travel great distances until they find a suitable life partner and their own territory. Adult pairs occupy small breeding territories in residential areas and forest edges. They are site-faithful and remain throughout the year. Even when crows gather in huge groups in the evening from fall to early spring to find common roosting sites these pairs usually return to their territories during the day. So it is very likely that crows are already your neighbors. Be alert when you leave the house. Keep your eyes and ears open. Pay attention to your surroundings. Can you hear or see crows in your neighborhood? If you notice a large group of crows you can try to get in contact with them. However it is much easier if it is a resident pair of crows with a fixed territory. Because then you can be sure that you will always interact with the same birds and you can slowly get to know each other. It is not advisable to attract a larger group of crows to your garden or residential area with food. This would upset the biological balance. Also your neighbors would certainly not be pleased with a large noisy group of crows in the immediate neighborhood either. But if you support only one pair of crows in your neighborhood this is perfectly fine and it will not upset the natural balance. With an attentive perception of your surroundings you will additionally connect more deeply with your place of residence and also certainly make one or the other previously unseen discovery. Part 2 of a food. Crows are casual eaters. They will eat anything. In our cities they find lots of food that is not suitable for them in our ways. So to keep crows healthy and safe I want to start with what not to feed a crow and why. Salt. Feeding crows seasoned food is a bad idea. Salt can cause serious kidney problems, dehydration and death. So any kind of salted and processed food, this includes cheese and other dairy products, are not suitable for crows. Chocolate. Chocolate is poisonous to crows. They can experience vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. In the worst case it can even cause death. Bread. Bread is not toxic but it is bad for birds in general. Bread is like junk food for crows. It fills their tummies but it has no nutrients. Tomatoes. The leaves and stem of tomatoes contain a toxin. The tomato itself is not poisonous. Also poisonous to crows are apple seeds, avocados, onions and caffeine. Now what should you feed a crow? Crows love dry and wet pet food. Peanuts and other nuts. Eggs, preferably scrambled. Meats like chicken, turkey and beef. Mealworms, crickets, fish, seeds, vegetables and fruits. Table scraps without spices and salt are fine too. During nesting season you can support your crows with mixing in some eggshells and chicken hearts for the fledglings. I sometimes mix cat food with eggs and prepare it for a whole week. It helps if you offer the food always at the same place and the same time, especially in the beginning. Once they know you, time is not that important anymore. The place should be safe and offer clean water because crows usually dip all their food into water. Crows have a feeding hierarchy that we should respect. In my case the male bird is always the first to feed and he will chase the others away until he is full. During the nesting season he feeds his partner and the babies, so this dominance helps him to guarantee the survival of his family. If you feed a whole family the whole year round, it helps to spread the food over a wide area or in separate places to avoid stress for the birds. One handful of food a day is enough. They are wild birds and it is not your responsibility to keep them alive. You are just supporting them. If you get to know each other better you might want to try some challenges with the food. Crows are intelligent birds but very neophobic too. They might be scared at first but once they trust you they get very determined, which is a lot of fun to Remember that this is a wild animal. Wild animals have a healthy innate shyness towards humans. Crows live very close to us humans. They have adapted perfectly to our way of life. But although they live around us, with us, in our cities, they are shy. Maybe you have noticed that crows do not like to be looked at directly. You walk by a crow for example maybe even quite close and it behaves really relaxed. But as soon as you stop and look at it, the crow will immediately jump off or fly away. The reason for this is our eyes. Our eyes are located in the front of the face, just like in predators. In animals that feed mainly on plants, the eyes are on the side of the head. They need the eyes for defense, to keep an eye on the whole environment in case there is an enemy nearby. Crows pay attention to our gaze. This has been proven by studies. Now, if you encounter a crow, you can avoid a flight reaction by directing your gaze. At the beginning it is enough to put out food and then retreat. After a while you can try to sit down at some distance from the feeding place. Pay close attention to the animal's behavior. Nonverbal signs such as flight posture and gaze. Does the bird seem tense, duck away, avoid eye contact or just jump back and forth? These are signs of fear. In the beginning it may be necessary to turn your whole head to the side or turn your even your back to the crows. By the way this is the reason why I started filming the crows. I just wanted to see what was going on behind my back. This gives the bird the opportunity to stay and look at you more closely, to get to know you. It can learn to judge your behavior and just get used to your presence. Once you know each other a little bit better, you can use the old vision. This is an open non-pointing look in the approximate direction of the animal. This look seems non-threatening and gives you the opportunity to look at the bird in an indirect way. You can now put out your food and stay close by while they eat. Sit quietly and avoid quick movements. The distance depends on the behavior of the animal. You can try gradually putting the food closer to you. Once they get used to you and get close, you can hold out food to them with your hand. Again I would recommend that you turn your head away and lower your gaze at the beginning. Make sure that there is a suitable place for them to sit in front of your hand. Part 4. Let the birds come to you. You may see the crow only from afar because she takes the food only when you are gone. But you would like to come closer. Be patient. Give it time. Crows are highly intelligent and will quickly know you well. They know you are there to bring them food. They will be waiting for you. To connect with the birds in front of you, you need to respect their space and their way of communicating. The crow is not dependent on you and will leave immediately if you get too forceful or break her trust. So slow down, sit down somewhere near and enjoy the moment with the birds. This is the only way to really connect. You do not need to achieve anything. You will be automatically tuned into their world of experience. When you're just with the bird, bonding happens. The more you try to force the connection, the more difficult it will get. Spend time with the birds so you can get to know each other. The crow can observe you and build trust. The crows will venture closer. After all, crows are as curious as they are shy. One of the most astonishing things I noticed about Crevy was and still is how much he observes me. He likes to sit with me and then he just watches my every movement. My interaction with the cats, when I walk in the garden or when I read. The crows you feed will be curious about you too and they want to watch you. It is helpful to focus on something else. Maybe bring a book to read or occupy yourself with something else. When you relax and take your mind off of the birds, you will seem less threatening. The calmer you are, the easier it is for the wild animal to stay calm in your presence. Crows will just stay nearby, do their thing and watch you. When they are close enough, you can talk to the crows in a calm manner. In my experience, crows like to hear human voices a lot. Crevy gets all fluffy and starts grooming when I talk to him. It always makes me smile. Finally, there is no fixed timeline. Every bird is an individual and some are shy and some are braver than others. Don't get discouraged, it is totally worth it. Your wild friend will bring a lot of joy into your life. Thank you for watching. I hope this helps you build a relationship with these fascinating birds.